Historic barns need your help

A wonderful barn in Franklin, CT. Photo © by Brenda Sullivan 2009

The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation has announced its newest project: a comprehensive survey of the state’s historic barns.

The group is inviting volunteers to help identify the location of the barns in their respective towns and/or perform “windshield surveys” (taking a photograph of a barn and noting the address, from the safety of a car).

The first target area is the Northeast corner of the state – including Ashford, Eastford, Chaplin, Stafford, Union and Willington.

A special presentation and workshop will be given at 6 p.m. on Aug. 6 at Knowlton Memorial Hall, 25 Pompey Hollow Road in Ashford.

The meeting will give a brief presentation on the history of the barn in Connecticut and then teach identification of barns by the type, use and construction technique.

The resource identification workshop will involve noting the approximate locations of the barns to be surveyed.

Then survey groups will be formed to cover areas of their town.

After a team (of at least two volunteers) has been assigned to an area, it will have four weeks to survey the area and enter the data in  the historic barn database, found at www.connecticutbarns.org.

The database will be the foundation for a statewide historic resource inventory, which will give barns in certain towns some level of protection. Currently, barns have almost no protections.

Survey information also will be used as the basis of State Register and National Register of Historic Places nominations.

The workshop will include data entry instruction, photography tips, standard vocabulary and safety issues.

Volunteers will be given a map of their designated area, a letter of purpose of the project to give/show to wary barn owners (explaining the program), a sample volunteer timesheet (required by the state), a booklet with pictures and vocabulary, a letter of commitment to sign and a tutorial on how to enter the info into the website database.

If interested, contact Todd Levine at barns@cttrust.org or call 203-562-6312.

Rebecca Lobo answers call from the "Hall"

Rebecca Lobo. Original photo courtesy of WNBA.

Rebecca Lobo checked her phone messages while visiting her in-laws in Minnesota last week.

Several were from former WNBA president Val Ackerman, who wanted Lobo to call her back.

When she did return the call, Lobo heard the news that was expected by many.

Lobo was officially named a 2010 inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the first former University of Connecticut player to receive that honor.

“You don’t ever think about what’s going to happen after you retire and when you get older,” Lobo said after Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

“When something like this happens it’s a huge honor. It was great that Coach Geno Auriemma was here. All the credit or any success I’ve had on the basketball court since I got to Connecticut, from that point on goes to him.”

“Coach’s fingerprints are all over everything. I brought up all the UConn All-Stars to Diana Taurasi on Friday and she said, ‘It’s all because of ‘The Man.’ If he had never become the coach at UConn, you wouldn’t have any of this happening.”

Joining Lobo in the Class of 2010, which will be inducted in Knoxville, Tennessee next June, will be Teresa Edwards, a 4-time Olympic Gold medalist for the Unite States, Teresa Weatherspoon, who helped lead the New York Liberty to three WNBA finals, as well as Chris Weller, Gloria Ray and Leta Andrews, the winningest high school girls basketball coach in the country with 1,312 career wins, 16 state semifinal appearances and one state title (1990) over 47 seasons at Granbury High in Texas.

Geno Auriemma after the UConn women won the 2009 Final Four. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com

“I don’t know anybody that’s had a bigger impact on women’s basketball in the last 25 years,” Auriemma said of Lobo. “I don’t think she has changed a bit since she was in high school. I think that is the appeal she has.

“She was the girl next door. Her impact is not the points and rebounds and blocked shots. It’s that she was Rebecca Lobo. The average person in America who didn’t know anything about women’s basketball knows about Rebecca Lobo and what she did in college. She’s an icon of women’s basketball.”

Town Committees name their candidates for November race

Republican Gene Nesbitt and Democrat Betsy Paterson are among the candidates for Town Council in the November 2009 elections. File photos © by Brenda Sullivan 2009.

“I think one of the strengths of our slate is our great combination of experience and fresh energy,” said Democratic Town Committee Chair Gregory Haddad of his party’s choice of candidates for this November’s local elections.

“We’re really pleased we attracted well qualified candidates,” he said.

The town’s mayor is selected by members of the town council after elections, but current Mayor Elizabeth “Betsy” Paterson said she’d welcome another term in that position. Paterson is currently the longest serving mayor in Mansfield history, now in her 10th year in the position.

Paterson also said she is “very, very pleased” with the Democrats’ slate. “The committee spent a lot of time and effort interviewing candidates,” she said.

The Democratic Town Committee-endorsed candidates include:

Town council – incumbents Gregory Haddad, Betsy Paterson and Carl Schaefer and new candidates Peter Kochenburger, Toni Moran and William Ryan.

Mansfield board of education – incumbent Carrie Silver-Bernstein, seeking re- election for a two year term; and new candidates Holly Matthews and Randy Walikonis, both running for six-year terms.

District 19 board of education – two newcomers, Jim Mark and John Meyers.

Planning and zoning commission – incumbent Barry Pociask and Gregory Lewis, (alternate); and new candidates Michael Beal and Ken Rawn (alternate).

Zoning board of appeals – incumbents Martha Fraenkel, Julie Wright, Sarah Accorsi (alternate) and Bev Gotch (alternate).

Board of assessment appeals – incumbent Carol Thomas and new candidate Anne Greineder.

Republicans confident

“This is the best and most confident slate we’ve put up in a while,” said Republican Town Committee Chair Peter Plante.

Each GOP candidate is unique and brings “diversity” to a heavily-Democratic Mansfield, he said. “For too long, it’s been a one-party operation.”

Plante said the party is running on a fiscally-conservative platform and town council candidates want to re-analyze town spending.

Plante said Lee Girard, specifically, is a good candidate for town council because he is a systems analyst and would look to find “better and cheaper” ways to operate the town.

Republicans also hope to establish a timeline for the proposed $220 million Storrs Center project, so townspeople can see progress instead of just talking about the project.

Incumbent Councilman Gene Nesbitt said GOP candidates would work across party lines to best serve Mansfield . “It’s not Democrats versus Republicans,” said Nesbitt. “It’s about who can do the job and provide what residents want.”

Nesbitt called the Republican slate “well qualified” with a variety of interests.

“It certainly doesn’t hurt having a good balance of different interests and expertise,” said Nesbitt. “As long as you provide strong leaders for the town.”

GOP candidates endorsed by the town committee last Thursday are:

Town council: incumbents Gene Nesbitt, Meredith Lindsey and Chris Paulhus and newcomers Denise Keane, Lee Girard and Ric Hossack.

Zoning board of appeals: incumbent Carol Pellegrine.

Board of assessment appeals: incumbent Eric Holinko.

Planning and zoning commission: incumbent Ross Hall and new candidate Vera Stearns.

Mansfield Board of Education: incumbent Katherine Paulhus.

Regional School District 19 Board of Education: new candidate April Holinko.

Originally reported as two stories by Staff Writer Caitlin E. Dineen – combined and edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan.

Posted July 31, 2009

Check out these groovy cars…

One of the cars on display at the 2008 Shriners Car Show. Courtesy photo.

The annual Sphinx Shriner’s Car Show is back, with hundreds of cool cars to peruse.

And if you’re the owner of a groovy car, this is your chance to share your pride-and-joy with the public.

This car show benefits the charitable activities of the Sphinx Shriners of Newington.

“We get cars and trucks of all types from all over the state! It’s a fun event and great entertainment for the entire family,” said Vin Matozzo of the Sphinx Shriners.

Paul Seely of The Sphinx Shrine added, “This show, like all of our events, goes a long way to raising the money to do the things we do in the local community. Our clowns, the parades, everything we do comes from the support of these events and generous donations.”

The car show takes place on Saturday, Aug. 15 (rain date Aug. 22) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Shriners facility located at 3066 Berlin Turnpike in Newington.

The show is open to all types of cars and trucks for a small, $10 entry fee.

Five classes will be represented, with three trophies per class.

Trophies will be awarded to the best in five classes, as well as a "Best in Show" trophy. Courtesy photo.

And a grand prize, “Best in Show” trophy will be awarded at 2 p.m.

Dash Plaques also will be awarded to the first 100 cars.

The public is invited to come see some of the finest cars in the area, qualify for door prizes and enjoy the refreshments and DJ entertainment.

The event is proudly supported by WDRC-FM 102.9.

Other Shriner events and more information is available online at http://www.sphinxshrine.org/

Posted July 31, 2009