Take a walk, in Lebanon’s Heritage Garden

Open fields are a lovely backdrop for the Heritage Garden at the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House and Museum in Lebanon, CT. Photo copyright 2012 by Brenda Sullivan

While there are many good reasons to visit Lebanon, CT, including the beautiful town green – where you will see people jogging and strolling year-round – if you are a garden lover, you might want to visit the Heritage Garden.

It’s a small garden, but chock full of history and beautiful plants and it’s located at the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House and Museum (right on the green).

The museum, itself, is interesting for its information about the Revolutionary War era and the three generations of Trumbulls who are an important part of Connecticut history.

Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (1740–1809) was General George Washington’s secretary during the American Revolution, and later was an eight-term governor of Connecticut.

The garden adds to the museum experience.

You can park at the back of the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House and walk over to the garden. You will notice a mailbox next to the entry arbor and inside are pamphlets with information about the plant choices in the Heritage Garden.

Buddleia blooming in August in the Victorian section of the Heritage Garden at the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House and Museum in Lebanon, CT. Photo copyright 2012 by Brenda Sullivan

Basically, the garden is grouped according to three time periods – Victorian, Colonial and Contemporary.

In the Victorian section, which reflects the “parterre” style of that time, you will find such plants as buddleia, phlox, peonies and dusty miller.

The Colonial section of the garden reflects the kitchen gardens of that time, so it includes herbs such as chives, hyssop, borage and lavender.

Flowers include yarrow, hollyhocks, coreopsis and boltonia – and there are grape vines and morning glories on the split-trail fence.

By the way, the adjacent open fields create a beautiful backdrop for the garden.

The Contemporary section of the garden contains some plantings that, while more common in today’s gardens and landscaping, actually have their origins in the Colonial era.

Hibiscus in the Heritage Garden at the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House in Lebanon, CT. Photo copyright 2012 Brenda Sullivan

This part of the garden includes hibiscus, ornamental grass, astilbe and a dwarf maple.

The Heritage Garden was created through a collaboration of the Jonathan Trumbull Junior House Museum Committee and the Lebanon Garden Club.

While you’re there, depending on the day of the week and the time of day you go, you can also visit the West Green Farm for fresh fruits and vegetables. They are open to the public Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

And at the end of the green is the Lebanon General Store where you can buy a sandwich and cold beverages.

While many flowers fade as the summer comes to an end, the seed heads of these are still lovely – at the Heritage Garden, Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House and Museum, Lebanon CT. Photo copyright 2012 Brenda Sullivan

If you happen to be there on a Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon, from now until Oct. 13, you can also visit the Lebanon Farmers Market next to the library – just up the road from the town green.
If you visit Lebanon, please share your experiences with us in the comment section.

Posted August 15, 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 )

Osten upsets Reynolds in Democratic 19th District primary

Cathy Osten, of Sprague, CT won the Democratic primary on Aug. 14, 2012 in the race to fill the vacancy that will be left by retiring Sen. Edith Prague, of Columbia, in the 19th District. Due to redistricting, that constituency will now include the towns of Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Marlborough, Norwich, Sprague and part of Montville. She will now face the endorsed GOP candidate, State Rep. Chris Coutu, R-Norwich. Photo source: CSEA SEIU Local 2001

Sprague First Selectwoman Catherine “Cathy” Osten decisively beat State Rep. Tom Reynolds, D-Ledyard, in Connecticut’s 19th Senate District Primary Tuesday (Aug. 14) to get the Democratic nomination. Osten was the top vote-getter in eight of 10 towns.

Osten, 56, said after the votes were counted that the win “means the world” to her.

She may have been helped by the endorsement of the much loved and soon-­to-be-retiring State Senator Edith Prague, D-Columbia.

“I expected this to be a nail biter,” Osten said, even though she spent a lot of her campaign the old-fashioned way, going door to door to talk with voters.

Osten received more than 57 percent of the votes with a total of 2,269 compared with 1,666 for Reynolds.

Some of the key votes came from with Norwich voting 782-512, Lisbon 180-55 and Columbia 237-103. Reynolds was the top vote-getter in his hometown of Ledyard,  425-73.

Reynolds, 45, conceded to Osten less than an hour after the polls closed Tuesday night.

Celebrating her win at T J’s Cafe in Baltic, Osten said Reynolds “immediately” gave her his endorsement for the upcoming November elections, where she will now face Republican State Rep. Chris Coutu, R-Norwich.

Coutu has already been endorsed by the Republican party.

Due to last year’s redistricting, Osten will run to represent a geographical area that includes Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Marlborough, Norwich, Sprague and part of Montville.

Osten has served as the first selectwoman in Sprague for three consecutive terms and chose to run for the state Senate thanks to Prague’s “push.”

Osten thanked her friends and family for their support in the primary election. She said her mother, Patricia Osten, “called every senior in Norwich” to make sure they voted.

“I have no worries moving forward,” Osten said. She intends to continue campaigning door-to-door and said she will go through another “six pairs of shoes” to make sure she reaches “each and every home.”

“I am absolutely thrilled to have the confidence of voters. I will continue to focus on jobs and the economy,” Osten said.

Tuesday night, Reynolds said he is “committed” to getting Osten elected in November.

While at his campaign headquarters in Norwich, he said he had no regrets about his primary campaign. “This is the best campaign I’ve ever run,” he said.

Reynolds said he feels Prague’s endorsement “definitely helped” Osten.

Prague is popular with senior citizens — who tend to vote more in primaries and elections — in her district.

Not sure what the next step will be for himself, Reynolds said his 18-years as a state and local official “isn’t a bad run.”

“This is a tough life for a family with children,” he said. Referring to his defeat, he said,“These things happen for a reason.”

However, Reynolds said, he will continue to serve his community. “I can’t imagine running for office again. But, just after an election is not the night to decide anything,” he said.

Town-by-Town results for the CT Democratic 19th Senate District Primary Aug. 14 2012

Posted Aug. 15, 2012 as edited by, and with photo and link added by,  HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

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Hum along… with Singin’ in the Rain at the Capitol Theater Arts Academy

The students at Capitol Theater Arts Academy (CTAA) in Willimantic, CT will present public performances of the award-winning musical, Singin’ in the Rain on Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 9, 10 and 11, at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Aug. 11.

The students at Capitol Theater Arts Academy (CTAA) will present public performances of the award-winning musical, Singin’ in the Rain on Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 9, 10 and 11, at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Aug. 11.

The Academy – an arts magnet school – is located in downtown Willimantic at the beautifully renovated, air-conditioned Capitol Theater, 896 Main St.

Featuring 43 students, ages 8-15, CTAA’s Summer Musical Theater Program includes students from Amston (in Hebron), Chaplin, Columbia, Colchester, Coventry, Hampton, Manchester, Mansfield (including Storrs, Mansfield Center), Norwich, Scotland, South Windsor, Tolland and Windham (including North Windham and Willimantic).

Regular tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and children under 12.

To order your tickets now, please call EASTCONN’s Capitol Theater Box Office between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, at 860-465-5636.

The box office window is also open 45 minutes before show time for walk-up ticket sales if still available.

This production is sponsored by the Savings Institute.

Posted August 1, 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 )

You can use these bathrooms – for a price

Coventry (CT) Regional Farmers Market is one of the most popular and fastest growing in the state; it draws about 75,000 visitors annually. The market also shares the grounds each Sunday of market season with the Nathan Hale Homestead – which plans to charge anyone who wants to use its new bathrooms $25 to become Friends of the Homestead. Photo copyright 2012 by Brenda Sullivan.

Visitors to the Coventry Regional Farmers Market, at the Nathan Hale Homestead, will soon have an alternative to the portable facilities already provided by the market.

Officials with Connecticut Landmarks, which owns the homestead at 2299 South St., announced that market-goers will be able to use homestead’s new bathrooms – if they become “friends” of the homestead.

The offer will not, however, take effect until mid-July and it comes with a price tag.

A new “Friends of the Homestead” program will officially launch in mid-July at a cost of $25. Benefits include a 10 percent discount on items in the new museum store, free access to the homestead and its tours throughout the season – and use of the homestead’s bathrooms.

Connecticut Landmarks Executive Director Sheryl Hack said the new program was slightly delayed while awaiting Friends of the Homestead pins.

Since the market re-opened for the season this month, for the past three Sundays, the bathrooms at the homestead had been open and used by both museum visitors and market attendees.

Last week, Connecticut Landmarks had said it would begin locking its bathrooms for market goers and only open them for museum patrons who pay the museum’s regular admission fee.

“This is our response,” Hack said Friday (June 22).

Hack noted, however, that the homestead will continue to allow access to the restrooms for any handicapped person.

The Nathan Hale Homestead in Coventry, CT – a view of the kitchen garden. The Coventry Regional Farmers Market uses the adjoining fields on Sundays throughout the market season. It also recently built a barn won from Yankee Post & Beam where it will hold programs. Photo copyright 2012 by Brenda Sullivan.

Connecticut Landmarks Education and Historic Sites Operations Manager Cynthia Cormier said the bathrooms were open the first few weeks because the agency didn’t know how many people would use them.

Hack said the new system was designed for only “250 flushes a day.”

Hack estimated with 1,000 to possibly 3,000 flushes each Sunday, the homestead could destroy its new septic tank a month into this year’s season.

She said the homestead could never have afforded a septic tank with the capacity for so many flushes.

Addressing the problem, however, has opened up an opportunity to boost financial support for the homestead. The “Friends of the Homestead” program will be “a vehicle for community members, market-goers and everyone else to support the property,” Hack said.

Hack confirmed each dollar from the new $25 program would go directly back to the homestead site.

The homestead received $500,000 from the state in 2004 for renovations that included bathrooms and a visitors’ center, and another $750,000 for renovation of the two historic Hale barns.

State Rep. Tim Ackert, R-Coventry, called the new “Friends of the Homestead: program “very interesting.”

“I like the overall idea, in terms of discounting prices and helping out Connecticut Landmarks,” Ackert said. On the other hand, he said he’s concerned about people essentially paying to use the new bathrooms.

Ackert said he has reached out to Connecticut Landmarks about the issue but hadn’t received a response as of last Friday.

“This just doesn’t sit well,” Ackert said. “I will continue to look into this to make it the best for everybody.”

Farmers Market Executive Director Winter Caplanson said the market has ordered a handicapped-accessible portable toilet to join the two portable toilets already provided for market visitors.

Caplanson said CT Portables in Chaplin was going to add an addi­tional portable toilet in time for the June 24 market day.

Caplanson said she isn’t worried about more bathroom-related problems for the market.

“I think it will settle down,” she said.

The market, which is overseen by the Bridges Healthy Cooking School, a 501c3 nonprofit, generates sales exceeding $500,000 every year and draws more than 75,000 visitors annually.

The market is open Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Posted June 25, 2012 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

Related link: Coventry Regional Farmers Market http://coventryfarmersmarket.com

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 Twitter at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Jobs, housing topics of forum on Eastern CT

The purpose of the “visioning sessions” is to present current points of the study and to gather feedback and ideas from local residents. Livingston pointed to the difficulty of the task, given eastern Connecticut encompasses 41 towns, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal nations, and the fact that region is composed of village, rural and urban areas. Map graphic copyright 2012 by Brenda Sullivan

The comments of community members may result in a more sustainable future for Eastern Connecticut.

At a public “visioning session” last week, a dozen area residents and officials gathered at Windham Town Hall to learn about and weigh in on a planning study that examines the region’s potential for sustainability improvements.

The study looks at three areas of potential growth — mobility, employment and housing — on a regional scale and considers how these areas might be improved in an integrated, practical way.

“It’s looking at gaps in what’s out there. What issues cross boundaries throughout this region?” asked Ken Livingston, vice president and principal associate at the planning firm of Fitzgerald and Halliday.

The session, along with another Wednesday, June 20 in Dayville, and a third held Thursday in Norwich, was hosted by the Eastern Connecticut Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Consortium. Members of the study team presented the findings and guided small group discussions.

The consortium partners with the Windham Region Council of Governments, Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board, and Southeastern Connecticut Housing Alliance.

The study, funded through a $225,000 grant from the state Department of Housing and Urban Development, began in September 2011 and will be completed by December 2013 at the latest, at which time the consortium will have a concise list of specific, doable recommendations for regional improvements.

The purpose of the “visioning sessions” is to present current points of the study and to gather feedback and ideas from local residents.

Livingston pointed to the difficulty of the task, given eastern Connecticut encompasses 41 towns, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal nations, and the fact that region is composed of village, rural and urban areas.

“There’s a diversity of issues and concerns,” he explained.

The study’s concentrations include diversified and affordable housing, workforce development and effectiveness of transportation.

Small breakout discussions were organized into these categories, but the interconnectedness of the issues was noted.

Affordable housing and dependable jobs should be located closer together, attendees said, which would lessen the burden on providing transportation.

Meanwhile, public transportation services could be connected between different areas of the region and service could be expanded.

Job training could be improved and coordinated with the needs of area employers, thus bridging the gap between the “supply of labor coming out of local schools” and “what the companies are looking for,” said Todd Poole study team member and managing principal for 4WARD Planning.

State Rep. Susan Johnson, D-Willimantic, attended the visioning session and spoke of the city’s potential. “We have a lot of resources here that could really help to change the economy,” Johnson said. She pointed to the freight rail lines, the airport, mills and other assets that could be harnessed to return Willimantic to its productive days.

She said she sees high-level manufacturing, to which much of the state has already begun to shift, as an exciting opportunity for the city. “If we act together, we can really attract a lot of people to the region,” Johnson said.

Columbia Town Planner Jana Butts, who is also a senior planner at WINCOG, was interested in the concept of “locational efficiency,” which would bring housing and jobs geographically closer.

“People who live close to their work are saving a lot of money, but also living a greener lifestyle,” Butts said. “I think there’s a real need for everyone to examine the environmental costs of their lifestyles and implement ways to make their lifestyles more sustainable.”

Livingston said he was grateful for the feedback. “What is most useful is hearing people’s personal stories and hearing their values,” he said.

It is these stories and values that will inform the consortium’s recommendations.

WINCOG Director Mark Paquette said the consortium will begin to synthesize these ideas this week, with the goal of moving a bit closer to final recommendations.

The consortium is looking for “a small number of (recommendations) where we can really make a difference,” he said.

The synthesized findings of the sessions will be posted on the consortium’s web site www.sustaineasternct. org, where community members can also learn more about the study and submit their own ideas.

Posted June 25, 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 Twitter at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

So much going on in June, where to start?

Copies of the 2012 Connecticut Trails Day booklet of events are now available in public libraries and can be downloaded from http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CT-TrailsDay2012

Besides Victorian Days in Willimantic (through June 3) and the return of the Coventry Regional Farmers Market on Sunday (June 3), here are a couple of get-out-the-door events coming up: Connecticut Trails Day on June 2-3 and the 8th Annual Connecticut Open House Day on Saturday, June 9.

This year’s theme for Connecticut Trails Day is “America’s Largest TRAILgating Party.” You have a choice of 193 events in 121 towns with more than 540 miles of trails.

Connecticut’s event is part of National Trails Day, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012.

Activities include hiking, biking, horseback riding, running, trail maintenance, kayaking, educational walks, bird watching, geocaching and more.

While public libraries now have copies of the 2012 booklet that lists all the events, you can also download an electronic copy from the web site at http://www.ctwoodlands.org/CT-TrailsDay2012

And you can keep up to date on the Connecticut Forest and Park Assoc. Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CTForestandParkAssociation

The booklet is also handy for discovering hiking, biking and paddling places to explore all summer and fall.

On the Annual Connecticut Open House Day, museums and other historic sites (as well as many artists’ studios) throughout Connecticut open their doors for the season – in many cases offering free admission or free gifts.

The annual event is coordinated by the Connecticut Office of Tourism (a division of the Department of Economic and Community Development).

Here’s just a sample of what you might want to explore in the HTNP.com readership area:

• In Ashford, the Willow Tree Pottery studio at 24 Bebbington Road will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pottery will be displayed in the gardens and studio. Visitors receive a handmade amulet or bead of clay. For more info, call 860-287-8056 or visit http://www.willowtreepottery.us

• In Chester/Hadlyme, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors can ride for free aboard the Selden III, the second oldest continuously operated ferry service in Connecticut (at 54 Ferry Road/Route 148), which crosses the scenic Connecticut River near the Gillette Castle State Park (former home of the stage actor who made Sherlock Holmes famous). For more information, call 860-526-2743 or click here.

• In East Haddam, from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., enjoy free tours of the historic Victorian theater built in 1876, the Goodspeed Opera House, at 6 Main St./Rte. 82. For more information, call 860-873-8668 or visit http://www.goodspeed.org

• In East Hampton, visit Sears Park (65 North Main St.) with lovely views of Lake Pocotopaug to enjoy while picnicking – admission is free from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on this day only. For more information, call 860-267-7300 or visit http://www.easthamptonrec.com

• In Lebanon, admission is free at the Jonathan Trumbull Jr. House Museum (780 Trumbull Hwy/Route 87, on the famous Lebanon Green) – there will be Colonial craft demonstrations, a mounted cavalryman portraying a French Army hussar (renowned for their elegant dress), and refreshments. Learn about the artist famous for his painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For more information, call 860-642-7987 or click here And next door at the Lebanon Historical Society Museum, also from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., enjoy Model-T rides, farm animals and hands-on activities.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about the Revolutionary War, about archaeology or other sciences, find out just why people like Prudence Crandall and Jonathan Trumbull are famous, and otherwise discover new sights (and share them with your weekend visitors) in your own back yard – or farther afield, if you like.

One of the advantages of living in a postage-stamp-sized state is that you can drive to pretty much any part of Connecticut in two hours or less. This makes it easier to plan affordable day trips, and keep them short enough for energetic children.

You can explore the different sites that are taking part in Connecticut Open House Day by visiting http://www.ctvisit.com/dontmiss/details/211 But note that this list doesn’t include all the museums (and activities) in the state – if there’s one you’re curious about and you don’t see it on the Visit Connecticut site, call the museum directly and ask what they have planned.

Posted June 1, 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 Twitter at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Parents angry over kindergartener with gun

Lebanon residents (R-L) Brian Green, Dina Mador and Dawn Green at a May 29, 2012 public meeting sparked by an incident in which a kindergartener brought a nonfunctioning gun to school for “show and tell.” Photo by Al Malpa

An incident involving a kindergarten student found last week to have a gun in his/her backpack (the identity of the child is not being released) has put a local superintendent in the hot seat.

While the fact that a 5-year-old came to school with a gun is in itself disturbing, the main complaint Lebanon parents expressed at a public meeting Tuesday (May 29) was the way the school handled the situation.

Parents are particularly unhappy about how and when they were notified; the school district mailed a letter to parents on Wednesday, the day after the incident occurred.

Parents say they should have been notified immediately – i.e. by email or phone.

According to Connecticut State Police, on Tuesday, May 22, the afternoon bus driver was delivering students to their homes when she became aware that one of the kindergarten students had a gun in his/her backpack.

It was determined that the gun was not loaded or even working. The bus driver returned it to the child’s parents, according to police.

Lebanon School Superintendent Janet Tyler responds to comments from angry parents at a May 29, 2012 meeting at which she was criticized for not notifying parents immediately about a gun found in a kindergartener’s backpack. Photo by Al Malpa

At last night’s meeting, parent Dina Madore, yelled at Tyler and said parents should have been notified on Tuesday.

Parent Julie Robbins agreed and said she had no idea about the incident until a neighbor told her. Robbins’ child was on that bus, she said, and it was “upsetting” to hear about it from someone other than the school.

“We couldn’t talk about it with our child because we had no idea,” Robbins told Tyler.

Tyler responded that she believes she did what she “felt was right.”

“I have kids as well,” Tyler said, and added “(I am an) advocate for children. I would never ever want to hurt a child for any reason.”

However, Tyler said, if the same incident happened tomorrow, she would call “every single person” to let them know.

In an interview today, State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said the incident was “blown out of proportion” because the gun actually was an antique replica that was incapable of being fired.

“It was not a firearm… it was not a ‘gun,’ by definition,” Lt. Vance said.

He also said the child brought the gun to school for “show and tell.”

At last night’s meeting, Tyler criticized the bus driver. “The driver’s failure to timely notify the school district severely handicapped our ability to investigate and inform parents,” Tyler said. It was hours later that the district was notified, she said.

Parent Brian Green said it is Tyler’s responsibility to communicate with parents. “This can’t happen again,” he said. “You are the face and you are the leader (of our school district).”

Green added that if Tyler was working “anywhere else,” she would have been fired already for the “abysmal” handling of the incident.

Lebanon resident Ron Cowles called for parents to do more than complain about a gun incident and take part in developing better protocol for Lebanon Schools, at a May 29 2012 public meeting. Photo by Al Malpa

Resident Ron Cowles was the only person at the meeting to stick up for Tyler and the rest of the school district’s administration.

Cowles said he understood the parents’ reaction, but urged them to become a part of the process to fix school policy. “Everyone needs to be involved. One person cannot do it alone,” he said.

Cowles said he looks forward to seeing how many of the parents and other community members will step up. “Help this woman (Tyler) to make it better,” he said.

Tyler asked for e-mail addresses from the people at the meeting in order to notify them of the next public meeting during which new protocol for incidents such as this one can be developed.

After the meeting, Tyler said she is “confident” the district can move forward.

However, Lebanon Board of Education member Stephen Nelson said he hopes the incident is discussed at the next school board meeting, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12 at the Lebanon Middle School Media Center.

Posted May 31, 2012 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

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 Twitter at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Victorian Days this weekend – house tours, high tea, carriage rides

Horse-drawn rides past historic Victorian homes are part of the 14th annual Victorian Days activities that run from Thursday, May 31 through Sunday, June 3 (most events are Saturday and Sunday). Photo courtesy of the Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association

Willimantic, Connecticut will invite visitors into some of its 600 Victorian-style homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places during the 14th annual Victorian Days events, which begins Thursday, May 31 and continues through Sunday, June 3.

This very popular event, which draws people from throughout New England, also includes garden tours, unique museum exhibits, live music, art exhibits and Victorian teas that sell out every year.

Victorian Days is sponsored by the Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association, which promotes the preservation of Willimantic’s Victorian past.

Most events take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Willimantic’s Hill Section abounds with old Victorian homes. It is “sort of a hidden treasure,” says event manager Lynn Duval. “It was built when the textile mill industry was at its prime.”

During that era, immigrants came from France, Poland, Ukraine, Ireland and other countries to work at the thread mills, and “their families are still here,” Duval said.

The George Tiffany House on Prospect Street is one of the Victorian-style homes that will be open for tours during the 14th annual Victorian Days, the weekend of June 2-3, 2012. Photo courtesy of Wilimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association

“They all left something here in the community,” she said, and so the Victorian Days weekend also celebrates the diversity of Willimantic’s history.

“People come from all over New England,” Duval said, and “when we bring the people here, they see that Willimantic is kind of a cool town.”

New to this year’s festivities will be Saturday tours of five churches with historically interesting stained glass windows and organs.

“They’re all historic. They all have magnificent stained glass. It’s going to be a beautiful tour,” Duval said.

Thursday – with cooler and less humid weather in the forecast – will start the three-day event with a walking tour of historic Main Street that will include a viewing of the old Franklin Hall Vaudeville Theater.

Friday night, the public can attend a free Classic Brass Band Concert at the First Congregational Church, 199 Valley St. Following the performance will be a large buffet.

The Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum will take part in the 14th annual Victorian Days the weekend of June 2-3, and will offer 1.5-mile train rides in an open car with benches. Photo of the “round house” courtesy of the Railroad Museum

Saturday and Sunday, visitors can tour Victorian homes, the Willimantic Camp Meeting Association (Saturday, only), the Elks Lodge, the Old Willimantic Cemetery, Windham Mills, the magnificent Garden on the Bridge neighboring the renovated mills and ArtSpace, Wright’s Pleasant Street Garden and the Windham Town Hall with its newly installed exhibit, “Connecticut’s Connection to the Titanic.”

The Windham Textile & History Museum/Visitor’s Center, the Windham Historical Society at Jillson House and the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum (set back from Bridge Street) will also feature exhibits and other activities.

The railroad museum will offer 1.5-mile train rides in an open car with benches. “The kids will love it,” Duval said.

The Victorian Teas are “real high teas,” using real china, silverware and linen napkins and tablecloths. Sandwiches, handmade scones, pastries and tea are served in one of the Victorian homes. The tea gatherings sell out quickly. “We tell people to reserve ahead of time, and they have to,” Duval said.

For information on where to buy tickets or to make advance reservations for tea on Saturday or Sunday, call (860) 428-7573.

To download a brochure detailing all the events and a map, visit the Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association Web site at http://www.victorianwillimantic.org/events/victorian-days-in-willimantic

Posted May 30, 2012 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

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Connecticut wins approval for No Child Left behind waivers

Connecticut’s No Child Left Behind waiver establishes a new, more comprehensive system of measuring student academic achievement and progress across all performance bands; adds writing and science assessments to the accountability system; and holds high schools accountable for graduation rates in addition to test scores. Photo source: WikiCommons public domain images

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today (May 29) announced that Connecticut’s application for a waiver from certain mandates imposed by the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has been approved.

The waiver, which grants states greater flexibility for implementing school reforms, comes just weeks after Gov. Malloy and legislative leaders reached an agreement to begin fixing what’s broken in Connecticut’s public schools.

The jointly-issued press release states that the NCLB Waiver, among other things, will ensure that Connecticut:

• has greater flexibility with Federal Title 1 dollars, meaning that the state can now use that money to fund programs and reform models that are right for Connecticut and gets it to the students who need it;

• avoids a situation where nearly half of the state’s public schools would have been deemed “failing” – setting in motion massive restructuring and possibly even school closures; and creates a system that more accurately measures student achievement across all levels.

NCLB requires a series of sanctions for schools that do not achieve 100 percent student proficiency on standardized assessments by 2014.

Connecticut’s waiver-

• establishes a new, more comprehensive system of measuring student academic achievement and progress across all performance bands;

• adds writing and science assessments to the accountability system;

• and holds high schools accountable for graduation rates in addition to test scores.

And Connecticut’s education reform plans call for –

• implementation of the Common Core State Standards and new assessments aligned to those standards in 2014-15;

• authorization of intensive interventions and supports necessary to turn around Connecticut’s lowest performing schools and districts;

• a new, enhanced system of teacher and principal evaluation and support;

• and reduction of red tape and undue administrative burdens placed on districts.

All of these initiatives, set forth as guiding principles for education reform by Gov. Malloy in December 2011, were affirmed or enhanced with passage of Senate Bill 458, An Act Concerning Educational Reform, which was signed into law by Governor Malloy on May 14, 2012.

“I want to commend Connecticut for demonstrating real courage that made it one of the leading states in this round of plans,” Secretary Duncan said.

“Connecticut’s plan to adopt college and career-ready standards, elevate and support teachers, and focus resources in order to close the achievement gap will include hundreds more schools and thousands more children who were invisible under NCLB,” Duncan said.

Connecticut Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor said, “From Common Core implementation, to low-performing school turnaround, to educator evaluation, we were able to convey Connecticut’s authentic agenda in our presentation to the federal Education Department.”

“After too many years of failing to secure significant federal approvals for our education work here in Connecticut, we are finally entering an era of strong state/federal partnership regarding the strengthening of our schools,” Pryor said.

Posted May 29, 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 Twitter at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )

Memorial Day Weekend a busy one for State Police and local firefighters

At the Lebanon, CT 2012 Memorial Day Parade - the World War II, Korea and Vietnam Veterans float. In the center waving to the crowd is 93-year-old Army Veteran Joseph Brissan from Lebanon. Photo by Al Malpa

The 2012 Memorial Day weekend was a busy one for Connecticut State Police, but the holiday was relatively quiet for local law enforcement agencies.

State police reported 279 accidents from midnight Friday, May 25 through midnight Monday, May 28, that resulted in 57 injuries and one fatality.

These numbers are up from the 2011 holiday weekend, when 260 accidents were reported, including 18 involving injuries and four fatalities.

“We were very active,” State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said.

It was also a busy weekend for firefighters throughout the state. In the Windham area, local departments responded to two fires in Lebanon.

The American Red Cross responded to seven fires in the state over the weekend – and provided assistance to 57 people – including one that destroyed the 200-year-old Bevin Brothers bell factory, the last of its kind, in East Hampton, CT. In that instance, the Red Cross set up a temporary shelter when residents near the factory buildings were evacuated because of concern about toxic chemicals in the air.

Connecticut State Troopers made 77 drunken­-driving arrests this year, seven more than last year.

Offering a salute for fallen veterans are from right to left, Dana Hallenbeck, Joe Eaton, Bob LaMarche, Yvon Turgeon, Jim Sposito and Lem Theroux of the American Legion Post 52 in Coventry, CT. Members of the American Legion, Knights of Columbus, Cub Scouts Pack 57 and Boy Scout Troop 65, as well as the public, paid tribute at the 2012 Memorial Day ceremonies in Coventry, CT. Photo by Marie Brennan

There were 816 seatbelt violations and 1,797 speeding citations.

Willimantic Police Lt. Jack Reed said it was a “very quiet weekend” for his department.

Reed said his department responded to four accidents, two Friday and two Monday, none of which involved injuries.

This morning, he said that no individuals were arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Reed also said there were also no cell-phone violations or speeding tickets recorded, though some might be included in the system later in the day, he said.

The Memorial Day parade kept Willimantic officers busy.

Participants left from Memorial Park on Main Street and marched to the American Legion on Bricktop Road. Main Street was closed for the festivities, as it is every year.

Willimantic officers directed traffic and public works employees set up barriers around the parade route.

“There was a pretty good turn­out,” said Reed.

Coventry Police Chief Mark Palmer said traffic enforcement went smoothly over the weekend.

“It was relatively quiet,” Palmer said.

The department did not have any DWI checkpoints set up, but did conduct roving patrols.

Palmer said there were two accidents, both of which were very “minor” and did not involve injuries.

Coventry police made 26 motor vehicle stops, and issued 11 citations and 13 warnings.

The citations included three speeding citations, one for a cell­phone violation, and two traffic sign violations.

“It’s pretty typical,” Palmer said, comparing this year’s statistics from those for past Memorial Day weekends.

Police shut down roads surrounding the town parade, which kicked off at G. H. Robertson Intermediate School on Cross Street.

More people attended the town parade than in previous years, but traffic was under control, said Palmer. “People were very patient,” he said.

Posted May 29, 2012 as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

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