Native American Exhibits, Fundraising, Car Cruise and more this weekend

May 12, 2011 Areawide, Arts & Entertainment, Local News Comments Off

Saturday, May 14

ANNUAL SPRING FAIR – STORRS
Storrs Congregational Church, 2 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, will hold its annual spring fair from 9 a m. to noon.

GIANT TAG SALE
Chaplin Elementary School is sponsoring a tag sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Spaces still available: 10×10 outdoor space $10; indoor space $15. Add $5 for table. We are also accepting donations on Thursday & Friday May 12 and 13 between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Contact (860) 455-9593 for more info.

CAR WASH/ PLANT SALE
First Baptist Church of Mansfield, 945 Storrs Rd., Storrs from 9 a. m. to Noon. Proceeds will go to summer camperships for Camp Wightman.

USED BOOK SALE – ASHFORD
St. Philip the Apostle Church, Route 44, Ashford, will host a used book sale through May 22 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

MAY FRIENDSHIP DAY
May Friendship Day, sponsored by the Greater Willimantic Unit of Church Women United, will take place at the Hampton Congregational Church, 265 Main St. (Route 97), Hampton. Gathering at 9: 30 a. m. followed by the program at 10 a. m. called “Living Our Friendship, Passing on the Key.” A Valiant Woman Award recipient will be honored and the Key Women will be recognized. Bring a salad to share for the potluck lunch. Contacts: Karen at (860) 455-0647 or Carole at (860) 228-9099.

YOUTH ART EXHIBIT AND HAITI FUNDRAISER
Storrs Community Church, 90 Tolland Turnpike, Route 195, Coventry, is celebrating the arts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Local artists and artisans will be exhibiting and selling their art. The “Youth Arts” event will feature students exhibiting from Coventry, Tolland, Willington and Mansfield and CSA, a community-based program supporting the arts sponsored by The School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut. Proceeds from pizza, bake sale and silent auction will be sent to Haiti. For more information, contact Susan Collin at susanmitchellcollin@gmail.com.

SATURDAY BEREAVEMENT GROUP
Hospice of Eastern Connecticut will hold its Saturday bereavement group. The group is held from 11a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 34 Ledgebrook Drive, Mansfield. Group is appropriate for those who are grieving a year or more. Group is open to the community. Info: (860) 456- 7288, ext. 293.

NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIFACTS EXHIBIT
The Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House opens for the season with an exhibit of Native American artifacts. Items on display include beaded bags and fancy baskets made by Penobscot, Passamaquoddy and Iroquois people, primarily made for the Victorian tourist trade. The artifacts are from the collection of Charles and Barbara Adams, antiques dealers from South Yarmouth, Mass. The museum, owned by the town of Lebanon, is located at 780 Trumbull Highway (Route 87), Lebanon. Hours are Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p. m. Admission is free. Info: (860) 642- 7987.

PROGRAM ON ALGONQUIN CULTURE
David and Lynn Mathieson portray an immigrant Scot and an Algonquin medicine woman couple during the fur trade era at the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House, 780 Trumbull Highway (Route 87), Lebanon, from noon to 4 p.m. American Indian clothing and regalia, authentically reproduced by the Mathiesons, will be on display. They will also sell their handmade Indian crafts, including drums and jewelry. Free admission. Info: (860) 642- 7987.

‘ FREEDOM’S JOURNEY’ POETRY READING
The Prudence Crandall Museum, Routes 14 and 169, Canterbury, will host a ” Freedom’s Journey” poetry reading at 1 p.m. Cost is $6 adults, $5 seniors and youth ages 5 and under free.

SCOTLAND RABIES CLINIC
Scotland Firehouse, 47 Brook Road, Scotland, will hold a rabies clinic from 2 to 4 p. m. Cost is $12 per pet, cash only. Mobile grooming also on site for nail trimming and ear cleaning from 1 to 4 p. m. $ 7each or $ 10/both.

RHYTHMIC UNIVERSE – WILLIMANTIC
Windham Textile & History Museum, 411 Main St., Willimantic, from 3 to 5 p.m. Workshop by author of “River of Life: How to Live in the Flow” and other books, Spiritualist teacher, lecturer, medium, spiritual adviser, the Rev. Marilyn Awtry. Cost is $30/person, $20 for CT State Spiritualist Association/CSSA members at the door.

ROAST PORK DINNER
The First Congregational Church of Coventry will host a roast pork dinner from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, 1171 Main St., Coventry. Cost is $8 adults, $7 seniors, $4 children ages 6-12 and children under six free.

HAM AND BEAN SUPPER
Echo Grange No. 180 will hold a ham and bean supper at the Grange Hall, 483 Storrs Road (Route 195) in Mansfield Center from 5 to 7 p.m. Proceeds from the supper will be used to further community service projects. Tickets will be sold at the door. Cost is adults $8, seniors $7, children aged 4-12 $5 and children under 4 are free. Takeouts are available.

BENEFIT FUNDRAISER – E. O. SMITH FOUNDATION
E. O. Smith High School Foundation is hosting a benefit fundraiser at The Sports Bar, 157 Boston Post Road, North Windham at 6 p.m. Live entertainment with live and silent auctions. Admission includes full dinner from the grill and late night pizza. Tickets are $25. Info: Call Matt Raynor at (860) 428- 5444.

‘ DINNER, MAGIC & BEYOND’
Church of the Holy Family, 185 Church St., Hebron will host a “Dinner, Magic & Beyond” show featuring illusionist David Garrity. Dinner 6:30 p.m. and show at 7:30 p. m. Tickets $ 25/person. Info: (860) 228-0096 or www.holyfamilyhebron.com.

ONE SIGHT FUNDRAISER LATIN SOCIAL DANCE PARTY
Grasshopper Arts Dance Studio, 25 Meadow St., Willimantic will hold a fundraiser Latin social dance party from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission $15.

SUMMER HORSEBACK RIDING LESSONS
The University of Connecticut, Storrs, is offering summer horseback riding lessons. Open to children age 11 or older and adults. Three-week sessions available. Cost is $210 to $315 per session. Visit www.animalscience.uconn.edu for details.

Sunday, May 15

SUNDAY E.O. SMITH SAFE GRAD BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER
A fundraiser breakfast for a substance-free graduation party for E.O. Smith graduates this year is slated at the Willington Pizza House, Route. 32, Willington from 8 to 10 a.m. Cost is $7/person.

SPRING BOOK SALE
The Friends of the Saxton B. Little Free Library will hold a used book sale to raise funds for the library from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is open and free to all. The book sale will be held at the Chapel on the Green, Route 87, Columbia (right next to the library). Info: (860) 228-0350.

SECOND ANNUAL CAR CRUISE
The Ashford Senior Center, 25 Tremko Lane, Ashford, will host its annual car cruise from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain date May 22.

NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIFACTS EXHIBIT
The Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House opens for the season with an exhibit of Native American artifacts. Items on display include groupings of beaded bags and fancy baskets made by Penobscot, Passamaquoddy and Iroquois people, primarily made for the Victorian tourist trade. The artifacts are from the collection of Charles and Barbara Adams, antiques dealers from South Yarmouth, Mass. The museum, owned by the Town of Lebanon, is located at 780 Trumbull Highway (Route 87), Lebanon. Hours are Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Info: (860) 642-7987.

TREES THAT INSPIRED FAMOUS WRITERS
Richard Horan will discuss natural history, an homage to trees, literary gossip, adventure and a dose of travel writing in his new book “Seeds: One Man’s Serendipitous Journey to Find the Trees That Inspired Famous American Writers from Faulkner to Kerouac, Welty to Wharton.” UConn Co-op, Storrs Campus at 1 p.m. Free but call to ensure a seat at (860) 486-5027.

AMELIA EARHART, ONE WOMAN SHOW
Actress Karen Tracy will portray Amelia Earhart in this one-woman from 2 to 4 p.m., in the hangar at Windham Airport, 39 Airport Road, North Windham. Admission: $10/person, $25/family of four. Fundraiser to benefit Victorian Days in Willimantic. Call (860) 456-1666 for reservations.

POETRY READING AND ART EXHIBIT
The Town of Chaplin will sponsor a poetry reading and art exhibit at the Chaplin Public Library, located on Chaplin Street, from 4 to 6 p.m. To read or to exhibit, e-mail ljwrench@snet.net or call (860) 455-9787.

Posted 5-12-2011

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Connecticut to receive $1 million from FEMA for January snowstorm costs

May 12, 2011 Areawide Comments Off

Gov. Malloy is currently appealing the denial of a disaster declaration in Windham and Middlesex counties for costs associated with the Jan. 11-12, 2011 snowstorms that - followed by heavy rains - caused roofs to collapse throughout the state.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has earmarked $1,046,295 for the state of Connecticut to reimburse state agencies, local governments and eligible private nonprofit organizations for costs associated with the Jan. 11-12, 2011 snowstorm.

The funds can be applied to costs for “emergency protective measures,” including snow removal, debris removal and the repair or replacement of public facilities damaged by the storm. Qualified applicants can apply for federal funds to pay up to 75 percent of approved costs associated with the storm.

A federal disaster declaration for Connecticut was issued on March 3, 2011 for the record or near-record snowstorm that strained the snow removal budgets of agencies and municipalities in six counties.

Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, New London and Tolland counties and the Tribal lands of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations were declared eligible for assistance at that time. Gov. Malloy is currently appealing the denial of a disaster declaration in Windham and Middlesex counties.

“I’m pleased that FEMA recognized the severity of the snowstorm Connecticut faced… In addition to that specific storm, the 2011 winter season proved particularly grueling and costly and I know this funding will be well-received by our cities, towns and nonprofit organizations,” Gov. Malloy said.

“We were successful in our application process, in large part, due to the responsiveness of cities and towns to our request for data, as well as the work by state emergency management workers,” he added.

Posted May 12, 2011

Legislation would allow developers to use state-protected land

May 12, 2011 Areawide, Business Comments Off

“East Haddam has been very actively looking for open space and my feeling is people considering making a deal with us will now ask themselves, ‘How long is it going to take for you to sell it to someone else?’” - East Haddam Selectman Emmett Lyman Photo source: Wikimedia Commons Free Use

Editor’s note: While this controversy has focused on the two towns most immediately affected by the proposed legislation (Haddam and East Haddam), I believe this issue is of interest to anyone in the state who is involved with conservation and preservation of open space, farmlands, nature preserves, etc. since SB 1196 will apply not just to this particular 17-acre parcel but to any state-protected property. That is why I am posting this story on all of our news sites. The bill is currently going before the House and Senate. If you have concerns, or if you would like to support this bill, now would be the time to contact your local representatives. This story also contains links to the two Web sites for the opponents and the developers and their supporters. Letters to the Editor on this subject can be emailed to editor@htnp.com (Posted May 12, 2011)

While he initially felt some economic benefit could come of a controversial proposal to use state-protected property in Haddam for development, East Haddam First Selectman Mark Walter has now joined fellow selectmen in sending a letter to the state to oppose the plan.

Walter said in an interview today that he originally favored the idea as “trying to support a regional focus on tourism.”

The state-protected land is in the Tylerville section of Haddam near the Connecticut River. Private developers Riverhouse Properties want to develop the land for a hotel or inn, shops, entertainment and other amenities.

They have proposed a land swap that would give Haddam 87 acres of woods in the Higganum section of town, adjacent to Cockaponset State Forest.

Just before the East Haddam Board of Selectmen’s meeting last week, that evening Walter had said, “At this point, I am starting to get the facts and understand how all this works… there’s a lot of misinformation out there… the main reason I am supportive of the Haddam selectman [First Selectman DeStefano, who favors the swap] is because we want to promote economic development in that corridor.”

“How it gets done is where it gets complicated, because it could set a precedence… it is of interest to both towns – to the whole state, really – because it’s being done through legislation,” he said.

Today, Walter said discussion at the selectmen’s meeting persuaded him that the legislation could have long-term negative impact on negotiations with property owners considering donating or selling their land for conservation purposes.

“As we have looked more and more into this, I have become uncomfortable with this use of state land,” Walter said.

The proposal has had strong support from State Sen. Eileen Daily – as it has in past years when it was unsuccessfully proposed – but it has ignited a firestorm of protest from many of her constituents.

Despite those protests, the bill is making progress. As of today, Senate Bill 1196 has already received unanimous approval from the Legislature’s Finance Committee and so, is set to go before the House and Senate.

Not compelling enough

In an interview last week, East Haddam Selectman Peter Govert said he introduced the motion to write the letter opposing Senate Bill 1196.

“First and foremost, I believe it will have a chilling effect on land conservation and preservation when it comes to donors,” he said.

He noted that at a Democratic Town Committee meeting attended by Sen. Daily, he heard an East Haddam resident who had recently sold a sizeable piece of land for conservation say that if this land swap had occurred before the sale, she would have decided to sell the land to a developer “and get more money.”

Govert also recalled that this “land conveyance bill” was vetoed by former Gov. M. Jodi Rell twice in the past. “This would be the third time they are trying to get it passed,” he said.

As for sending a letter to the Legislature, Govert said, “We thought we’d send a very clear message that we don’t support it.”

He added that the decision was not entered into lightly.

“We didn’t rush into this position… We talked about this at previous (Board of Selectmen) meetings. We discussed the pro’s and con’s. We saw the Powerpoint presentation by Riverhouse Development (March 10). We’ve looked at the (Stop the Swap) Web site,” Govert said.

Whether or not the plans he’s seen are realistic is another one of his concerns, Govert said: “We aren’t convinced by the state or by the developers that they have a viable plan. There are a lot of unanswered questions. Who pays for sewage? What about drinking water? Where’s the traffic plan?”

Govert also has some concerns about a part of the bill that includes 2.7 acres owned by Goodspeed. “It’s near the parking lot that the town (East Haddam) owns, by the river,” he said. The Town of East Haddam has an easement on that property for use of the boat launch.

He added that while Sen. Daily has said this property has been removed from the bill, “the last time I looked on the (legislative) Web site, it was still there.”

Opening a door

Walter also expressed concern that if this legislation passes, it could encourage other proposals that could be more difficult to stop.

For example, he recalled a proposal by the Audubon Society to sell a piece of land known as the Harlow Haagenson Preserve off of Creek Road.

The proposal led to the formation of a Friends of Haagenson to stop the sale, and former State Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal also stepped in, Walter said.

“Now, there are rumblings that the Audubon may try again to sell it,” Walter said.

He also pointed to the town’s acquisition of 280 acres known as the Shagrue property that ended up being resolved in court as an example of how complicated land negotiations can be.

Two sisters shared ownership – one owned five-sixths of the land and another one-sixth – and the court had to settle which part of the farm would constitute the one-sixth that was retained by one sister, Walter said. “This was because the (preserved) land had to stay in active farm use.”

“So, it’s never easy… and this bill could set a precedence that would make it even more difficult,” Walter said.

A viable plan?

East Haddam Selectman Emmett Lyman also expressed serious concern about the legislation opening the door to similar deals and the effect that could have on future negotiations.

Lyman noted he served on the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission and the Open Space Commission, “and I am very aware of how difficult it is to convince people to turn land over to the town or state.”

“One thing you’re always up against is a developer standing there with a checkbook in his back pocket,” Lyman said.

What gives the town, state agency or conservation group some kind of edge is a “special trust” that the property – and perhaps family memories connected to that land – will be protected from development, he said.

If this land conveyance bill is approved, “what we’re doing is violating that trust,” he said.

He noted that in one instance, it took the town 10 years to negotiate with owners of a farm property. “That isn’t uncommon at all. It’s often a long and very fragile process,” he said.

Lyman said he’s also surprised at how little the State has offered to convince residents this land swap would be a good thing. “I expected the State to come forth with really compelling arguments why this would be good for tourism, for the economy… they didn’t. In the past, they (the proponents) have just slid it past us – and that makes people uncomfortable,” Lyman said.

He added that he, himself, has 40 acres of land near Six Flags in Suffield and if this legislation passes, he would personally feel worried about selling or donating his property for conservation.

He also has simple ethical issues with the proposal, he said. “This is conservation money that comes from you and me and other taxpayers,” Lyman said.

He added, “Do I think economic development is important in the lower Connecticut River Valley? Could we use some help? Yes. But let’s do it in a very public way. And I just don’t think the case has been made… it has to be public and it has to be compelling because you’re betraying a trust.”

Originally posted in East Haddam Today on May 11, 2011; site walk poster added May 12