Local activities for Good Friday

A man dressed as Jesus Christ carries a cross today during a play on the eve of Good Friday, April 2 in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. Good Friday is observed by Christians as a day of mourning in memory of the crucifixion of Jesus, that leads to the celebration of Easter. Reuters photo.

Good Friday Service – St. Mark’s

7 a.m. at St. Mark’s Chapel, 42 N. Eagleville Road, Storrs/Mansfield on the UConn campus). Proper Liturgy for Good Friday, 7 a.m. and noon; Good Friday service and activities for youth, 10-11:30 a.m.

Easter Plant Sale – Hebron

An Easter plant sale will be held by the Hebron Volunteer Fire Department at Company 1 Fire Station, 44 Main St. (Route 66) in Hebron Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also selling 911 reflective address signs and T-shirts.

Good Friday Service – St. Paul’s

Noon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 220 Valley St., Willimantic.

Passion Walk – St. Philip the Apostle

A Passion walk will take place at 2:30 p.m. at the St. Philip the Apostle Church, 64 Pompey Hollow Road, Ashford. Costumed re-enactment of Christ’s walk. Public is invited to walk or watch.

Choir, Tenebrae, folk services – St. Mary’s

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion and adult choir service, 3 p.m.; “Lovelight” Tenebrae service (the ceremony of Tenebrae is the gradual extinguishing of candles while a series of readings and psalms are chanted or recited) and folk group service, 7 p.m. at St. Mary Church, 46 Valley St., Willimantic

Easter Musical – Columbia Baptist

“See What a Morning,” will be performed at 7 p.m., Columbia Baptist Fellowship, 195 Route 6. Free.

Good Friday Service – Prince of Peace

7 p.m. at Prince of Peace Church, 10 N. River Road, Coventry.

Good Friday Service – Eastford Congregational

7 p.m. at Eastford Congregational Church, 8 Church Road.  Service with Chaplin Congregational Church.

Good Friday Service – Hampton Congregational

7 p.m. at Hampton Congregational Church, 263 Main St.

Good Friday Service – First United Methodist

7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 29 Puddin Lane, Storrs/Mansfield Center

Posted April 1, 2010

[If your service or activity is not listed here, please feel free to add your information in the comment section below this story.]

It's bottled water at the middle school, again

Until water tests come back, everyone at Mansfield Middle School is drinking bottled water. Again.

The school has had some problems with water contamination in the past, and has taken proper precautions. The downpour earlier this week, however, caused a new hassle.

In a notice emailed to middle school parents today, Principal Jeff Cryan reported that, “Overnight, ground water came into the school’s well house, and the sump pump failed. The water reached a level above the pump, so we will need to have our drinking water tested before we use it for drinking or cooking.”

He noted that the well house is located in a separate building behind the school, and that no water had leaked into the school building.

“When we learned of the problem, we notified students and staff members not to drink the water. Our maintenance staff acquired dispensers for 5-gallon water bottles, and these were placed in hallways,” he writes.

The water testing company will take water samples today [April 1], and Cryan expects to receive the results next week. In the meantime, all the drinking water fountains are wrapped, so that no one accidentally uses them.

“I will let you know the results of the water test when it arrives. Meanwhile, we will be drinking from paper cups for a few days,” Cryan said.

School is closed on Friday, April 2 for the holiday.

Posted April 1, 2010

Wacky weather patterns may be here to stay

Parker Bridge Road in Coventry flooded after heavy rains earlier this week.

Unseasonably warm days after record rainfall may seem like a wacky weather pattern, but extremes like this may become the norm.

“We really won’t be seeing typical weather, anymore,” Bill Jacquemin, meteorologist for the Connecticut Weather Center, said Wednesday.

New Englanders are used to rapid changes in the weather, but Jacquemin sees a sign of global climate change.

“We’re going to see this big roller coaster ride for the rest of our lifetime,” he said.

New rainfall records, too

The rainstorm that pummeled the state this week helped set new records in many parts of Connecticut.

.Many areas were soaked with as much rain over the last two days as they typically receive for the whole month of March, if not more, Jacquemin said.

Combined with two other large rainstorms over the past month, Jacquemin said most towns likely set monthly records. Some recorded their rainiest month, ever.

“For most of Connecticut, this is the wettest March on record,” he said.

Jacquemin said Windham/Willimantic received about 4.5 inches of rain, as did Tolland, much less than some other towns across the state.

The Groton/New London area saw just over 6.5 inches, while Lisbon received 7 inches and Deep River had almost 8.5 inches.

Leaky roof

In Coventry, Town Manager John Elsesser noted that the town’s waste treatment plant recorded 4.7 inches.

While the rainfall was constant, he said, it “wasn’t a torrential rain” for most of the storm.

Coventry’s roads mainly faired well, but G.H. Robertson Intermediate School did spring a leak in its roof and some students had to be relocated.

Robertson Principal David Petrone said some ceiling tiles disintegrated after water dripped from the roof, and a “handful of tiles” fell on a teacher’s desk when no one was in the room.

Classroom materials were moved to an empty classroom, and the roof will be patched, he said.

Flooded basements

Franklin Town Clerk Debbie Beisiegel said the town had a “few flooded basements,” but otherwise did not have too many problems with flooding. (First Selectmen Richard Matters was not available to interview.)

She added that the state purchased land in the flood area along the Yantic River, so no residents currently live there.

Mansfield Public Works Director Lon Hultgren said the town did have to close a few roads prone to flooding and a few dirt roads had problems, but the town did not have any major issues.

He said the area likely benefited from calm winds, as higher wind speeds could have caused more trees and branches to fall.

“I’m not aware of any trees coming down, so that’s good,” he said.

Sunshine returns

There will be “a little reward” later this week, Jacquemin said, when temperatures reach the 70s on Friday and Saturday, before dropping into the 60s for Easter Sunday.

Jacquemin also said he doesn’t foresee any rain over the next week, so rivers and ground water levels will have time to return to normal.

Larger rivers, like the Connecticut River, might not peak until the weekend, but many of the smaller rivers in the area should begin to come back to normal levels quickly, he said.

Posted April 1, 2010

Have an event, community activity, photo or other news you’d like to share with your neighbors on this site, available for them to read 24/7? Simply email your information to mansfieldeditor@htnp.com and be sure to include your phone number, in case there are questions.

2010 Census: Mayor Ernie vs Mayor Betsy

The mayor of the town with the least improvement in census-form return rate must wear a sweatshirt from the university of the winner's community. Graphic by Brenda Sullivan.

Windham Mayor Ernest “Ernie” Eldridge is so enthusiastic about getting Windham residents fairly counted that he’s decided to turn it into a contest.

Earlier this week, Eldridge challenged Mansfield Mayor Elizabeth “Betsy” Paterson to see who could best their town’s census response rate… compared to the last time the census was conducted, which was in 2000.

The town that improves its mail-in response rate by the greatest number of percentage points will be declared the winner.

The mayor of the town that loses the wager must wear a university sweatshirt from the opposing community – Eastern Connecticut State University or the University of Connecticut – for a day.

In Windham, the town had a mail-in response rate of 63 percent during the 2000 Census, while Mansfield had a mail-in response rate of 70 percent.

Unlike the multi-page census forms of 2000, the 2010 census has 10 questions, which means it’s a lot easier and quicker to complete – and that should make for an interesting competition.

“She (Paterson) does not want to wear an Eastern sweatshirt,” Eldridge said Tuesday.

“I’d like to beat Ernie,” Paterson said Wednesday.

Both Mayors would like to see their town’s return rate significantly higher. The winners, as it turns out, will be the residents.

That’s because the information provided on the census form has a lot to do with how federal dollars are awarded for a large variety of programs that affect everyone, from children to seniors.

“This matters to your community,” said 2010 Census staff member F. Ellen Whaley.

In 2008, the state received $5.6 billion federal dollars based on census-related data, she said.

Whaley heads the local office of the U.S. Census Bureau in Norwich, which serves 66 towns in Windham, Tolland, New London and Middlesex counties. [Mansfield is part of Tolland County]

Nationwide, there’s an estimated $400 billion to be allocated over the next 10 years on the basis of Census data, she said. “This matters to everyone,” she said.

In March, more than 130 million addresses in the U.S. received a 2010 Census form by mail or by hand delivery, 2010 Census officials said.

One of the more common concerns people might have about the census form is that it may reveal sensitive information.

What people should know is that the Census bureau is bound by law not to reveal any of your personal information to anyone outside the Census bureau… that includes the IRS, immigration authorities, local officials or anyone else, Whaley said.

“Your census data can’t be subpoenaed by any court or given to police. That’s the law,” she said.

Required by the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Census has been held every 10 years since 1790.

Besides guiding funding, census data is used to determine how many members of the U.S. House of Representatives will represent each state.

Census data also helps to determine boundaries for state legislative districts and federal congressional districts.

Another function of the 2010 census is to “catch up” with changes in the country since the 2000 census.

As for those who do not complete and mail their forms, they can expect an in-person visit from a census taker later this spring, who will help you fill out your form.

For more information, call the Norwich 2010 Census office help line at (860) 367-8371.

Posted April 1, 2010 – HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan contributed to this story… and no, it’s not an April Fools Day joke!

Related link:

“Map program lets residents monitor 2010 Census,” The Ledger Independent, March 31, 2010 http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/article_e61063ae-3d47-11df-a7c5-001cc4c03286.html

Have an event, community activity, photo or other news you’d like to share with your neighbors on this site, available for them to read 24/7? Simply email your information to mansfieldeditor@htnp.com and be sure to include your phone number, in case there are questions.