Learn about local folks during the Civil War

Frank Niederwerfer, who lives in South Windsor, is a Civil War historian and a member of the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Reenacting Unit. He will give a talk at the Willington Library on April 25 2013. Facebook photo

There’s more to the Civil War than what we learned from “Gone with the Wind.”

In fact, many New Englanders played important, if not always dramatic roles.

You can learn more at a program on the subject presented by Civil War historian Frank Niederwerfer at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 25 at the Willington Public Library at 7 Ruby Road.

The program is hosted by the Willington Historical Society.

Niederwerfer, who lives in South Windsor, is a Civil War historian and a member of the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Reenacting Unit.

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Share your lovely locks, help a woman in need

Eastern Connecticut State University’s People Helping People (PHP) student club, in collaboration with Pantene Beautiful Lengths, invites you to a hair-donation event from 2 to 4 p.m. on April 29 in the Betty R. Tipton Room in the Student Center.

Eastern Connecticut State University’s People Helping People (PHP) student club, in collaboration with Pantene Beautiful Lengths, invites you to a hair-donation event from 2 to 4 p.m. on April 29 in the Betty R. Tipton Room in the Student Center.

All donated hair will be made into wigs for cancer patients. The public is invited.

For those interested in donating, hair must be…

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UConn unveils new leaner, meaner Huskies logo

Weighing in on the new Huskies logo design, women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma said, “This logo is everything that a Husky is supposed to be – powerful, aggressive, determined. It is looking right through you and saying ‘Do not mess with me’. ” Image courtesy of UConn Athletics

Press Release

UConn Athletics today (April 11) unveiled a new version of the Husky logo.

UConn Athletics has been working with Nike to evaluate all parts of its brand, including word marks, logos and uniforms, for the past 14 months.

The new Husky Dog logo will be featured on uniforms for every one of UConn’s 24 athletic programs in 2013-14 and each of those uniforms will also prominently display the block UCONN word mark outlined in red.

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Challenges loom for Connecticut’s new gun law

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signs new gun law on April 4, 2013 at the State Capitol in Hartford, CT. Photo by Christine Stuart | CTNewsJunkie.com

by Hugh McQuaid | CTnewsjunkie.com

Flanked by families of some of those murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT in December 2012, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed into law the state’s new bipartisan, gun-violence prevention legislation at a ceremony Thursday afternoon (April 4) at the state Capitol.

The bill expands the number of firearms prohibited in Connecticut, bans the sale of ammunition magazines that carry more than 10 rounds, and imposes new eligibility requirements for purchases of all guns and ammunition. It also creates the first statewide gun offender registry.

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Public hearings April 3 on Storrs Center plans

The Mansfield Downtown Partnership will hold two public hearings on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at the Mansfield Fire Station 107 meeting hall, at 879 Stafford Road (Route 32), to hear comments on two zoning permit applications from Storrs Center Alliance LLC. Image source: MDP web site

Press Release

The Mansfield Downtown Partnership will hold two public hearings on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at the Mansfield Fire Station 107 meeting hall, at 879 Stafford Road (Route 32), to hear comments on two zoning permit applications from Storrs Center Alliance LLC.

The hearings concern Phase 4: Market Square and Phase 1C: Building Town Square-3 of the Storrs Center project.

The first hearing begins at 7 p.m. on the application to develop the proposed market area in Storrs Center (Phase 4: Market Square).

The second hearing is scheduled to begin at 7:45 p.m. on the application to develop the proposed Town Square-3 (TS-3) building (Phase 1C: Building Town Square-3).

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Puppet Project recreates works of puppeteer who inspired Henson

Fred and Cinderella hold hands in a photo of two of the original puppets used by puppeteer Dick Meyers who’s 1960s puppet shows will be lovingly recreated and presented by Connecticut Repertory Theatre April 11 – 14 in Storrs. Photo by Seth Shaffer.

Press Release

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present “Cinderella” and “Beauty and the Beast” as part of The Dick Meyers Project, featuring Puppet Arts graduate student Seth Shaffer.  The family friendly performance will be a one-hour puppetry recreation of the Dick Meyer’s 1960’s puppet show featuring all his original puppets in the Studio Theatre in Storrs, April 11 – 14, 2013.

In the 1960s and 70s, Dick Myers toured his one-man puppet performances based on classic fairy tales throughout Europe, The Soviet Union, Japan and the U.S.  Jim Henson and Frank Oz both proclaimed Dick Myers as “the genius of American Puppetry.”

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ECSU event raises funds to benefit early detection and treatment of mental illness

Harold Schwartz, M.D., gives his keynote speech on “Mental Illness in the Wake of Sandy Hook,” at the sixth annual ECSU Luncheon benefitting Natchaug Hospital education programs on March 27, 2013. Contributed photo.

Press Release

The ECSU Foundation’s  sixth annual luncheon benefitting Natchaug Hospital education programs raised over $12,000.

The event, held on March 27, 2013 was attended by more than 110 community representatives including Backus Hospital President and CEO David Whitehead; Connecticut State Rep. Susan Johnson; and Eastern Connecticut State University President Elsa Nunez, Ph.D.

Half of the funds raised at the event will be put towards Natchaug’s commitment to promote early detection and treatment of mental illness, an initiative endorsed by Vice President Joe Biden following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT in December 2012.

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Watch Solarize Mansfield-Windham installations in April

Two Solarize Mansfield-Windham installations are coming up that will give local residents an opportunity to watch how it’s done, meet the homeowners participating in Solarize Mansfield-Windham, and have your questions answered by the official solar installer, C-TEC SOLAR. Image courtesy of C-TEC Solar

Submitted by Virginia Walton | Mansfield Recycling Coordinator

Two Solarize Mansfield-Windham installations are coming up that will give local residents an opportunity to watch how it’s done, meet the homeowners participating in Solarize Mansfield-Windham, and have your questions answered by the official solar installer, C-TEC SOLAR.

C-TEC is providing lunch, as well.

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