Gov. Malloy asks period of grieving for victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School

Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, where 20 school children were killed on Dec. 14, 2012. Web site photo

Earlier this evening (Dec. 15), Gov. Dannel P. Malloy asked for a period of grieving for the 20 young children and seven adults shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.

Gov. Malloy acknowledged that people want to know more about the man police believe was the shooter, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, and about the events of that morning – many, out of concern for the safety of their own children at their schools – but asked that for a moment, people focus on the shock and grief felt not just in Connecticut, not just across the country, but in homes around the world. … Continue Reading

Lions offer 12 days in Israel and Istanbul

The tour includes – Jerusalem: Old City Tour; Mount Zion; Tomb of King David; The room of the last supper; Nazareth – The Church of the Annunciation; Caesarea – Ancient Roman Port; Golan Heights; Sea of Galilee; Jordan Valley; Haifa; Tel Aviv and Istanbul; and more. Pictured here, the Via Dolorosa.

The Hebron, CT Lions Club invites you to ISRAEL + ISTANBUL, a 12-day escorted tour from March 6-17, 2013.

The cost of the trip is $2,459 including air travel to and from JFK Airport.

The tour includes –

Jerusalem:  Old City Tour;  Mount Zion;  Tomb of King David; The room of the last supper;  Nazareth – The Church of the Annunciation; Caesarea – Ancient Roman Port; Golan Heights; Sea of Galilee; Jordan Valley; Haifa; Tel Aviv and Istanbul;  and more.

The $2,459 includes the round-trip flights from JFK

eight nights First Class and Superior Tourist class hotel accommodations (Israel),

two nights Istanbul;

four nights Prima Royale Hotel, Jerusalem;

two nights Rimonim Mineral Tiberias, Tiberia;

two nights Tal Hotel, Tel Aviv,

two  nights at Hotel: Innova Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey.

The fee also includes all group transfers; 11 meals (12 breakfasts, one dinner); sightseeing in modern, air-conditioned motor coaches; and the services of English-speaking tour managers per itinerary.

What’s not included are the following costs: airline taxes, $280; insurance, $159 (required); Single supplement, $630; Turkish Visa, $20 (paid upon arrival); optional tours; and gratuities.

All personal expenses are also your responsibility. And beverages are not included with the Tuesday dinner on March 12.

Transportation is available from Hebron, CT to/from JFK.

Questions? Contact Hebron Lions member Dr. William Levy, who will accompany the trip, at 860-647 -1195.

For reservations, call Doug Payette at The Travel Companion (44 Groveway,  Clinton, CT 06413) at 860-399-7776  Doug Payette. The fee is $509 to hold your space, which includes both your insurance and deposit.

Here’s more about the trip:

MARCH 6 (Wed.) Depart USA, flights include meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment.

MARCH 7 (Thur.) Arrive in Tel Aviv and transfer to Jerusalem and your hotel. In the evening, a welcome briefing at your hotel. (Optional: dinner 1 of 5 Day Dinner Value Package – $119. Your hotels provide an economical way to stick to your budget, enjoy dependable local cuisine, without incurring any travel cost. Meals are based on the hotel’s buffet or four-course set menu. Beverages are not included.) Overnight: Jerusalem

MARCH 8 (Fri.) A half-day tour of Jerusalem’s Old City. Walk along the Via Dolorosa and visit some of the Stations of the Cross en route to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Pass through the local bazaars en route to Mount Zion. Visit the Room of the Last Supper and the Tomb of King David. (Optional: dinner 2 of 5 Day Dinner Value Package).

You also have the option of a half-day in Bethlehem, 2 p.m., $33… a half-day tour featuring the Church of the Nativity. A shopping stop for local souvenirs and olive-wood handicrafts is included. Please note that Bethlehem is located six miles south of Jerusalem in the West Bank and governed by the Palestinian National Authority. Overnight: Jerusalem.  Meals: Breakfast.

MARCH 9 (Sat.) – Day at leisure in Jerusalem. Enjoy the day at leisure in this fascinating city. Stroll the pedestrian Ben Yehuda Street with its many shops and cafés and restaurants or visit one of the city’s many museums. (Optional: Dinner 3 of 5 Day Dinner Value Package.) You also have the optin of Full Day Masada and Dead Sea, $94.  Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A towering desert mesa via cable car to visit the excavations of the fortress of King Herod and the last stronghold of the Zealots against the Romans. Here you will be able to see the synagogue and storehouses, painstakingly restored by archaeologists. Descend the mount via cable car. Next, visit the Museum of Masada, the Story of Masada. Continue your tour via Ein Gedi and the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, more than 1,200 feet below sea level. While at this natural wonder, enjoy the opportunity to float in the water or cover yourself in the mineral-rich mud. Return to your hotel.  Overnight: Jerusalem. Meals: Breakfast.

MARCH 10 (Sun.) Day at leisure in Jerusalem. Enjoy a full day at leisure in Jerusalem. You also have the option of  Half Day Jerusalem Old City – Jewish Quarter (morning)/Half Day Jerusalem New City, $54.

In the first half of the tour… drive past the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament to visit the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed on a rotating platform. View the model of Jerusalem during Second Temple period. En route to Yad Vashem, pass by the Israeli Supreme Court Building. Explore the new facilities of Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust.

In the second half of the tour… Half Day Jerusalem Old City Jewish Quarter (p.m.), $50. Begin the Old City tour, entering through Zion Gate, where provisions for the Jewish Quarter were smuggled through during the War of Independence. Walk to the Cardo, the ancient Roman Street which was the main shopping area during the Roman and Byzantine Periods. Visit the Jewish Quarter and the four Sephardic Synagogues from the 16th Century, restored after the 1967 war. Visit Davidson Center and tour the southern wall excavation.

Another option, Illuminated Jerusalem, with dinner, $61.  Jerusalem at night shows off her splendor. Drive by the walls of the Old City and various other monuments to see the city in a new light. Continue to a local restaurant for dinner. Overnight: Jerusalem. – Meals: Breakfast.

MARCH 11 (Mon.) Beit Shean and Capernaum Sightseeing. Depart Jerusalem, driving via the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean, a city mentioned in the Bible, later a Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine city which was destroyed by an earthquake in 749 AD. Continue north following the Jordan River to Yardenit. Drive around the Sea of Galilee with views of Tiberias, to Capernaum. Overnight: Tiberias. Meals: Breakfast and dinner.

MARCH 12  (Tue.) Day at leisure in Tiberias. Enjoy a full day at leisure in Tiberias. With the evening at leisure, we suggest a visit to a local diamond factory  (Optional: Dinner 4 of 5 Day Dinner Value Package).

Another option, Full Day Golan Heights Tour with lunch, $94.  To Safed, a holy city and the center of the mystical Kabbala. Stroll through the artists’ colony and visit an ancient synagogue. Proceed to Golan Heights stopping at Mitzphe Gadot for a tour and lunch at Kibbutz Gadot. Continue to Har Ben Tal, site of a former Israeli bunker. Next visit a kosher winery in Katzrin, the largest town in the Golan Heights.  – Overnight: Tiberias. Meals: breakfast.

MARCH 13 (Wed.) Nazareth, Haifa and Ceasarea sightseeing. Drive south through the Galilean hills to Nazareth, home of the Church of the Annunciation. Continue to Haifa, via Bahai Gardens. Proceed to the Mediterranean coast and visit Caesarea. Tour the remains of the Roman and Crusader – ancient history comes to life with the multi-media presentation. Drive south along the coastal highway to Tel Aviv.

Another option, Panoramic Night Tour of Tel Aviv with dinner, $61. This evening you will see the highlights of Tel Aviv, a vibrant city renowned for its chic, cosmopolitan character. Drive down Ibn Givrol Street, one of Tel Aviv’s main streets with shops and restaurants. Pass Yitzhak Rabin Square with its memorial to the late Israeli Prime Minister. Continue past the Mann Auditorium and Habima, Israel’s National Theatre, and down the tree-lined Rothschild Avenue which boasts a large selection of Bauhaus Architecture style from the 1930s and 1940s. Continue toward the Mediterranean Sea and then south to Jaffa for dinner in a local restaurant. – Overnight: Tel Aviv. Meals:breakfast.

MARCH 14  (Thur.) Day of leisure in Tel Aviv. Enjoy a full day at leisure in Tel Aviv. Stroll along Dizengoff Street and have coffee in one of the many sidewalk cafes. Or visit the open-air arts and crafts market in the pedestrian streets of Nahalat Binyamin. (Optional: Last Dinner of 5 Day Dinner Value Package).

Another option, Half Day Tel Aviv (morning) – $43.  Morning tour of Tel Aviv begins along Ben Gurion Boulevard, named for Israel first Prime Minister and where David Ben Gurion’s House remains as it was as a permanent exhibition, to the Tel Aviv waterfront on the Mediterranean to ancient Jaffa. Proceed to Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv style. Stroll through the narrow lanes and winding streets. Overnight: Tel Aviv. Meals: breakfast

MARCH 15 (Fri.) Morning. TEL AVIV to ISTANBUL departure flight. The remainder of your day is at leisure Overnight: Istanbul.  Meals: breakfast.

MARCH 16 (Sat.) Istanbul City Tour (Topkapi Palace & Grand Bazaar), the famous Underground Cistern (remember the James Bond movie From Russia with Love?); The Topkapi Palace, residence of Ottoman Sultan’s, housing the richness of 700 years. Finally, the Grand Bazaar , world-famous shopping center where you will have the opportunity to shop for carpets, jewelry, leather, etc. Overnight: Istanbul.  Meals: breakfast.

MARCH 17 (Sat.) Transfer to the Istanbul airport for your departure flight to JFK. Meals: breakfast.

Posted December 4, 2012

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW  Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Is your chili da bomb? Looking for a 5K race?

Columbia’s annual Chili Cook-Off and the 16th Annual Columbia Autumn Classic Road Race (5K) are coming up on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. Registration deadline to enter the contest and race is Friday, Oct. 19.

Here’s your chance for some bragging rights and to help raise funds for recreation programs for your town.

If your family and friends rave about your chili, why not enter your special recipe in the Oct. 28 Columbia Chili Cook-off, sponsored by Columbia Recreation. You can also compete in the cornbread contest.

Or come to the event to taste the different chili recipes and help the judges make their decision on the best of the best.

You can also enjoy the “Fall Beer Garden” – sponsored by Columbia Package Store – offering seasonal beers for purchase during the cook-off (must be over 21 and must present valid ID to enter the “Garden”).

Or join the morning 5K road race – the 16th Annual Columbia Autumn Classic Road Race – and then refresh yourself with some chili.

To register to run in the race, visit http://www.active.com

All runners and spectators must be in Rec. Park no later than 11:15 a.m., before the start of the race, because the road will be closed until 1 p.m. Please enter via the Lake Road side of Hennequin Road.

The road race and contest take place on Sunday, Oct. 28. Chili tasting begins at 1 p.m.

Entry fee is $25 for the chili contest ($10 for the children’s division), and/or $15 to enter your cornbread. Tasting tickets are $15 each.

Please note – registration to enter the contest and race are due by noon on Friday, Oct. 19.

Each chili contestant must provide:

1. Sterno or propane to keep chili warm.

2. A small card table to cook on.

3. Serving utensils.

4. Any fixings to go with the chili (cheese, sour cream, etc.)

5. List of allergens (wheat, dairy, nuts) in the chili.

6. Enough chili to provide plenty of samples.

Some other important rules:

• Chili cannot be started any earlier than 6 a.m. the day before the competition.

• All contestants must be at Rec Park by 11:15 a.m., before the race begins.

• Contestants must remain with their chili and distribute samples.

• Chili will be identified by number only.

• In the Children’s Division: child may be supervised, but must cook chili on his/her own.

As a memento of the day, black long-sleeved shirts, hoodies and aprons with the “Columbia Chili Cook-Off” logo will be available for sale.

Questions? Please contact the recreation department during office hours at 860-228-8513 or by email at recreation@columbiact.org

Posted October 16, 2012 – Tell them you read about it in Columbia Today!

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

USDA releases first-ever report on organic agriculture and our food choices

In its first-ever report on organic farm production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that while organic farmers make up less than a half of one percent of all U.S. farmers, they already sell more than $3.5 billion worth of agricultural products.

Editor’s note: There is some controversy over whether what’s being certified as “organic” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in fact, organic. Some of the controversy centers on the membership of the board that does the certification whose companies stand to profit by expanding the boundaries (or approved list) of substances in our food deemed “organic.” HTNP welcomes comments from readers on this topic.

The following is from the weekly USDA Science Tuesday blog post:

“Organic agriculture is proving itself to be a veritable cornucopia, according to the results of the first-ever report on USDA-certified organic production, which we released earlier this month.

While the number of organic farms is a fraction of its conventional counterpart, an organically-produced version of virtually every crop or animal product is now available in the United States.

This was the first time the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducted this survey, which means that we cannot see trends yet, but we can already easily see some of the impacts of organic production in the United States.

From four farms in Alabama, Alaska or Delaware to 1,898 farms in California, every state in the nation is now home to USDA-certified organic producers.

And while these farmers make up less than a half of one percent of all U.S. farmers, they already sell more than $3.5 billion worth of agricultural products.

Many of these growers are taking the time and effort to bring their products directly to U.S. consumers. While 81 percent of their sales come from products that go to wholesale markets and become available to shoppers through their local supermarkets, almost a third of all USDA-certified growers sell their products directly to consumers. [For example, at farmers’ markets.]

In fact, as of 2011, each state has at least some USDA-certified producers selling their fruits, vegetables, crops, livestock or animal products such as eggs or milk directly to local customers.

USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) provided funding and support for this NASS survey. [The Risk Management Agency] aims to use the survey results to examine potential risk management tools and crop insurance for organic growers.

[The National Agricultural Statistics Service] also partnered with the Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program, which helped ensure that we reached all of the USDA-certified organic producers in the United States.

But this was just a brief glance at the USDA-certified organic production and we plan to learn more about this unique sector of U.S. agriculture.

Over three years, USDA’s science agencies have invested more than $117 million on improving the productivity and success of organic agriculture. And for farmers, USDA provides up to 75 percent of the cost of organic certification. Those are a few of the ways that USDA shows its strong commitment to organic agriculture.”

USDA has included organic industry questions in its Census since 2002, and as the next step, NASS will include some questions about organic production in the 2012 Census of Agriculture, which will arrive in producers’ mailboxes in just a few short months.

These questions will help us take a more in-depth look at the organic agriculture industry and start identifying some of the trends for that sector.

I hope all organic growers will take the time to fill out the Census. After all, it gives them a chance to have their voices heard and an opportunity to shape their own futures.

Posted by Hubert Hamer, Agricultural Statistics Board Chairman, on October 16, 2012 as part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog – blogs.usda.gov/2012 – updated weekly.

Posted on HTNP.com Oct. 16, 2012 as edited by HTNP News Editor Brenda Sullivan – comments added in brackets.

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Ask questions about the Columbia library project at Oct 29 Town Meeting

A Town Meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 29 in Columbia, CT on the proposed $5.9 million library expansion and renovation project.

A Town Meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 29 in Columbia, CT on the proposed $5.9 million library expansion and renovation project.

According to the Town of Columbia website, the average homeowner would pay $141 a year for each year of the 20 year bond to finance the project.

The design of the Saxton B. Little Free Library expansion/renovation project is supposed to create more green space, improve traffic and pedestrian safety and have no effect on the school, playground area of adjacent chapel.

The Town Meeting will be take place at the Horace Porter School.

Ask questions. Make Comments. No vote will be taken at this Town Meeting.

Posted October 15, 2012

Click here for the link to more info about the project, in PDF format

Rendering of Saxton B. Little Free Library by Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. Architects, South Windsor, CT – from Town of Columbia web site

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Connecticut victims of 9-11 remembered at memorial ceremony

“In the past 11 years… countless stories have been told – countless memorials have been built – and countless tears have fallen. But your presence here, this year and every other, has meaning far beyond words. Because your presence here today means your loved ones are with us, too. They are with us in the faces that I know are still vivid in your minds. They are with us in remembered voices – in the love you feel in your heart.” Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman at Connecticut Remembers Memorial 2012.

Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman addressed a gathering at the 11^th annual Connecticut Remembers 9-11 Memorial Service, held at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Sept. 10 and spoke of the “horror that blackened crystal blue skies over our nation’s capital,” as well as the other terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Today, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proclaimed Tuesday, September 11, 2012 as Honor Our Heroes and Remembrance Day in the State of Connecticut and ordered Connecticut and U.S. flags to half-staff from sunrise to sunset.

By proclamation, President Barack Obama also has directed U.S. flags to fly at half-staff and called for a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m.

CT Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was not present at Monday’s memorial because he was traveling out of the country.

Joining the gathering were families and friends who had lost loved ones on 9-11.

“We are humbled by your presence, and we thank you for sharing this day with us,” Wyman said.

“In the past 11 years… countless stories have been told – countless memorials have been built – and countless tears have fallen. But your presence here, this year and every other, has meaning far beyond words. Because your presence here today means your loved ones are with us, too. They are with us in the faces that I know are still vivid in your minds. They are with us in remembered voices – in the love you feel in your heart,” Wyman said.

“For the rest of us, here and across Connecticut and the nation, it is absolutely necessary that we never forget who they were, how they lived their lives, and what they meant to you.

“Many were working that day in the World Trade Center, within sight of this wonderful memorial where we gather today,” Wyman said, including –

• the computer specialist who also created beautiful music on the piano, and who was in the Windows on the World that morning because a friend needed him to fill in at a meeting;

• the broker who loved to fish and hunt, and who proposed to his wife in 1987 during a dinner atop the Twin Towers;

• the 79-year-old engineer, whose quiet, gentle demeanor belied his experience of living in exotic countries across the globe, and his passion for climbing some of the world’s highest mountains;

• the recent college graduate, who lived for summer sailing and kayaking, and who had just begun his career as a trader;

• and the software consultant, who loved simple things like cross-stitching and puttering around the house, and who was a month away from marrying the man she had loved for 16 years.

For others, “that day began in the air,” Wyman said.

• the young, artistic couple who worked side-by-side as flight attendants, and who had just bought a house where they were to begin their lives together;

• the aviation executive and part-time pilot, on his way out west for a biking trip with his brothers, who bravely helped fellow passengers try to retake control of their hijacked plane over Pennsylvania;

• the blonde 4-year-old girl flying with her Mom to California, where she was going to see Disneyland for the first time.

“These are just some of the stories of the lives behind the 161 names that we are about to hear,” Wyman said

Wyman also spoke of members of the Connecticut military lost during the fighting that followed 9-11.

“Five years ago, I had the privilege of helping create a memorial and annual ceremony for the Connecticut military heroes we have lost in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. And now that I have witnessed this ceremony and had the honor to meet some of you, I know even more deeply why those 63 brave men and women felt compelled to go to battle.

“They fought and made the ultimate sacrifice for your loved ones – and for all of us. My tribute to them is this 9/11 pin that I wear every day, and will only put away when every one of them is back home. I know you join me in praying for their safe return.”

Wyman concluded her speech by reciting a verse from a memorial poem written by two students from Rockville High School, “Out of the Ashes.”

“I think this single verse speaks not only of what and who we lost 11 years ago – but is a guide to how we can perhaps take strength from the pain that is still very real today,” Wyman said.

We are the Twin Towers

Of the past – and present.

Towers of strength – towers of faith.

That can never be erased.

Today, Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lt Gov. Nancy Wyman released this statement on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001:

“Though 11 years have passed since the attacks, the grief and sorrow we felt for our country, for our friends and neighbors and complete strangers, is still very close to our hearts,” said Gov. Malloy.

“With each passing year, this anniversary serves as a moment for reflection, a time to remember the brave and selfless acts of our first responders and the ordinary people who committed extraordinary acts of heroism.

“It’s a day to keep in mind the dangers we still face, a time to renew our resolve to keep each other safe from harm, and to give thanks to all those in uniform for the work they do.

“It is also a day to remember that we Americans are a strong and resolute people, and that even when we are faced with unspeakable horror and tragedy, we have an indomitable will and spirit that cannot be broken – by anyone, or anything. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who is grieving today – to friends, neighbors and complete strangers. Though some are gone, none are forgotten.”

Lt. Gov. Wyman said, “Here in Connecticut and across the nation, September 11th is a day for us to remember and honor those who lost their lives, and what they meant to their families and their communities. Their families live with the pain of that loss every day of every year, and we must support them in any way we can.

“It is also a time to recognize the dedication of our firefighters, police officers and EMS workers, and the 63 brave Connecticut military men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Posted September 11, 2012

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Forage for wild mushrooms, safely

Summer Oyster mushroom (Pleurotuspulmonarius) is one of the wild mushrooms that can be foraged in Connecticut. Photo by The 3 Foragers.

The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History will host a mushroom gathering and identification activity in Hebron, CT on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Connie Borodenko, from the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society, will lead the program.

Neither a plant nor an animal, mushrooms and other fungi are curious life forms indeed! They pop up suddenly, often becoming full-grown in a matter of hours.

Discover the startling, colorful, sometimes delicious and sometimes deadly, world of mushrooms and fungi.

Bring a basket and paper bags for gathering during the first hour of the program.

Then, learn about the fascinating world of fungi as we discuss the findings with our mushroom expert.

This hike may be challenging for some, it will include hilly areas.

The program fee is $25 ($20 for museum members). Advance registration is required.

This program is for adults and children ages 8 and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

For registration information visit http:///www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html or call 860-486-4460 during museum hours.

The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Posted September 6, 2012

Related link:

The 3 Foragers blog http://the3foragers.blogspot.com

How to identify edible mushrooms growing in CT http://www.gardenguides.com/90012-identify-wild-edible-mushrooms-grow-connecticut.html

Foraging wild edible food http://www.norwichbulletin.com/bulletin_blogs/foraging_wild_edible_food_blog/x1588376151/Edible-Mushrooms-in-Connecticut

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Libertarian VP candidate to visit UConn

Libertarian vice presidential candidate Judge Jim Gray of California.

Libertarian vice presidential candidate Jim Gray —   will visit the University of Connecticut from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Homer Babbidge Library (theater 2).

Gray’s talk is sponsored by the following student organizations:

• Alternative Political Society,

• Young Americans for Liberty and

• Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

There are seats for 80 people, plus standing room in the back of the theater.

Gray, a judge for the Superior Court of Orange County, is a long­time activist regarding marijuana legislation who resides in California.

He also supports marriage equality, fiscal responsibility and peaceful, non-interventionist foreign policy.

Gray is running with Gary Johnson, a two-term governor of New Mexico.

Posted September 2, 2012

Related links:

“Could Super-Pac backed third party candidates sway the presidential race?” NBC News http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/31/13573497-could-super-pac-backed-third-party-candidates-sway-presidential-race?lite

“Jim Gray, Libertarian vice president candidate, visits Alaska,” Alaska Disptach http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/jim-gray-libertarian-vice-presidential-candidate-visits-alaska

“Judge Jim Gray announces as Libertarian vice presidential candidate,” http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/judge-jim-gray-announces-as-libertarian-vice-presidential-candidate

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Don’t fall to pieces… audition!

The Windham Theatre Guild holds open auditions for a November performance of the musical “Always, Patsy Cline,” on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. at Windham Middle School, Quarry Street, Willimantic.

The show revolves around two main characters – famous country/pop star Patsy Cline and her biggest fan Louise Seger.

Auditions will include vocal, acting and improvisational sequences. Prepare a musical number for the vocal audition. Piano accompaniment will be provided. Readings from the script will be provided that evening.

We are filling the following roles:

• Patsy Cline – This role is vocally demanding, singing lead on more than 20 songs. The ideal candidate sounds like Patsy Cline;

• Louise Seger – This is a large acting role with lots of monologues. We are looking for a great actress;

• Back-up singers – Four back-up singers needed, two male and two female.

Director is Victor Funderburk. Musical director is Ken Clark.

Performance dates are Nov. 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16 and 17 at the Burton Leavitt Theatre at 779 Main Street in Willimantic, with a special benefit performance on Nov. 4.

For more information, contact the Windham Theatre Guild at windhamtheatre@aol.com

Posted September 2, 2012

Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to editor@htnp.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Live music, great food at AHM dinner fundraiser

The event will include live music by Bruce John and local celebrities acting as waiters, as well as dinner, dessert and beverages.

A fundraising gala dinner will be held on Monday, Sept. 24, to benefit AHM Youth Services, which serves families in the towns of Andover, Hebron, Marlborough and Columbia.

The second annual dinner is hosted by Gina Marie’s Restaurant in Hebron, CT owned by Troy and Gina Marie Kelsey.

The event will include live music by Bruce John and local celebrities acting as waiters, as well as dinner, dessert and beverages.

All of the proceeds from the event will help support the youth services bureau’s programs.

Tickets are $50 each. For a reservation call (860) 228-9488.

AHM Youth Services aims to promote and support the health and well-being of children, young adults and their families for their personal growth and for the greater good of the communities.

Posted September 2, 2012

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