In Willington – see the stars differently

“Road Map to the Stars – the Night Sky Explained, will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13 in Willington by astrophysicist Kevin Manning, a retired NASA consultant.

“Look Up to the Stars!” astronomy programs will be hosted by three area libraries, including Willington Public Library

“Road Map to the Stars – the Night Sky Explained, will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13 by astrophysicist Kevin Manning, a retired NASA consultant.

Registration for this program, which will be held at the Willington Old Town Hall on the green, is not required but you may call 860-429-3854 for more information.

The event is free and suitable for children age 10 and older (children must be accompanied by an adult).

Posted September 6, 2012

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Giant Willington Flea Market is Sept 8

The 50th Annual Willington Flea Market will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 on the Willington Town Green (rain or shine). This very popular event is sponsored by the Federated Church of Willington. Stop by the green to browse antiques, arts and crafts, buy some delicious baked goods and shop!

The 50th Annual Willington Flea Market will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 on the Willington Town Green (rain or shine).

This very popular event is sponsored by the Federated Church of Willington.

Stop by the green to browse antiques, arts and crafts, buy some delicious baked goods and shop! Christmas isn’t that far away – find some one-of-a-kind gifts.

It’s also a popular social event where friends and neighbors have a chance to catch up on each other’s lives.

Last year’s flea market included about 40 vendors and non-profit groups from Willington and surrounding towns.

Food and beverages also will be on sale.

A $1 donation is requested, and children under age 12 will be admitted at no charge… and parking is free!

Questions? Please call the church weekday mornings at 860-429-9911.

Posted September 5, 2012

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Like vintage cars? Mark your calendar for this Willington show

A whole lotta cool cars will be on display (maybe yours?) at the 10th annual Willington Car Show on Saturday, Sept 29, 2012. Held on the Willington Town Green (on Route 74) in Connecticut, it runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (The rain date is Sunday, Sept. 30, same hours.)

A whole lotta cool cars will be on display (maybe yours?) at the 10th annual Willington Car Show on Saturday, Sept 29, 2012

Held on the Willington Town Green (on Route 74) it runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (The rain date is Sunday, Sept. 30, same hours.)

Dash plaques will be given to the first 100 cars and trophies in several categories will be awarded.

There also will be giveaways, food and ice cream for sale, and music… fun for the whole family!

Questions? Call Chet at 860-568-1836 or Joe at 860-429-5475.

Posted Sept. 4, 2012

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Local man wins Lucky for Life CT Lottery game

85-year-old Max Cohen of Coventry, CT may not drive anymore, but he’s got enough money for a new car and maybe a driver as a $25,000 winner in the CT Lottery game, Lucky for Life. Photo source: CT Lottery

The youngest of eight children, Max Cohen of Coventry, CT has seen a lot of life in his 85 years. On July 31, 2012 Cohen experienced a new life first when he came to CT Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill to claim the second highest prize in the Lucky for Life* game – worth $25,000.

On July 26, Cohen missed matching the Lucky Ball number, which was 5, but matched the other five winning numbers (6 – 8 – 23 – 34 – 38). “The numbers I played are special, they all relate to my mother,” said Cohen.

Cohen, who served in the First Marines, 1st Marine Division in World War II, was pleasantly surprised with his $25,000 win. “For now, the money will go in the bank,” Cohen said.

Cohen’s daughter, Lisa Duclos, helps her father play his numbers, “now that he doesn’t drive anymore,” she told Lottery officials.

“When I checked his numbers on the Lottery website (http://www.ctlottery.org), I said to my husband, ‘Oh my God, I think I have five numbers.’ I had my husband check; I checked a couple more times, and then I used a lottery Ticket Checker just to be sure,” Duclos said.

Cohen’s winning ticket was purchased at CV Mart, at 1237 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon, CT.

Across New England, 77,649 winning Lucky for Life tickets were purchased on that date; 24,129 were sold in CT alone with prizes ranging from $2 to $25,000.

Since the “first” Lucky for Life drawing on March 15, 2012, there have been 1,076,799 “lucky” winning tickets sold in CT alone.

Posted Aug. 2, 2012

*About the Lucky for Life game – The top prize is up to $7,000 a week for life. If you don’t win the top prize, there are nine other prize levels, from $2 up to $25,000, on every ticket. Drawings are held every Monday and Thursday at 10:35 p.m. on Fox CT – Channel 61 and WCCT-TV – Channel 20.

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 )

Rep. Hurlburt supports holding CL&P accountable for storm response

“Our area of the state was hit the hardest and many people who had to wait the longest to get their power back also depend on electricity to run their well pump for water, and that quickly became a health issue.” – CT State Rep. Hurlburt (D-Ashford, Tolland, Willington)

State Rep. Bryan Hurlburt (D-Ashford, Tolland, Willington), in a prepared statement, said a state report critical of how CL&P handled prolonged power outages following last year’s two major storms “confirms what most people in eastern Connecticut already knew.”

The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) found CL&P’s response to Tropical Storm Irene in late August 2011 and the October 2011 nor’easter to be “deficient and inadequate.” The findings could result in financial sanctions against the company.

Almost 700,000 residents and businesses lost power for up to two weeks from Irene, while just six weeks later a record 8 00,000 suffered outages from the freak October snowstorm, many lasting up to 10 days.

During this year’s legislative session, Rep. Hurlburt states, he successfully pushed for a new law to hold utility companies more accountable for their performance before, during and after storms.

“Our area of the state was hit the hardest and many people who had to wait the longest to get their power back also depend on electricity to run their well pump for water, and that quickly became a health issue,” Rep. Hurlburt said.

“Clearly the status quo regarding the utilities performance was unacceptable. Frankly, the only way we are going to see improvement from the utility companies is by threatening their bottom line, and that is exactly what we did,” he said.

Public Act 12-148, An Act Enhancing Emergency Preparedness and Response, which was signed into law by Gov. Malloy in June 2012, will:

• Establish standards for the utility, telecommunication and cable companies during emergency events;

• Establish penalties in the event the companies do not meet these standards;

• Require utility companies, telecommunication companies and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Service Providers (i.e. phone service via cable companies) to submit emergency plans for restoring service;

• Create a “microgrid” pilot program to be administered by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection;

• Study the feasibility of requiring backup power for telecommunications towers and antennas;

• Encourage coordination of underground infrastructure projects; and

• Require the development of procedures to expedite the process of road-clearing following an emergency.

“Mother Nature is unpredictable and last fall’s double dose of her wrath was certainly one for the history books,” Rep. Hurlburt said. “That experience led to this legislation and should leave us much bettered prepared when the next big one hits.”

Posted August 2, 2012

Related link: Remarks by the PURA, at the bottom of which is a link to the draft report (in PDF format, which requires Acrobat Reader to open), which was expected to be finalized by Aug. 1, 2012 http://www.ct.gov/pura/cwp/view.asp?A=4144&Q=508102

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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 )

Your neighbors, training to help your community during a disaster

Roberta Dwyer and her husband Tim Dwyer, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers from Coventry, pour water into a MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) heating device during a training session at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic on July 28, 2012. Photo by Marie Brennan

Some of your friends and neighbors – training as regional emergency volunteers – took part in a statewide emergency training drill over the weekend at Eastern Connecticut State University to learn about how to respond to a Category 3 hurricane.

ECSU’s Student Center is an officially-designated emergency shelter.

The training was part of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, whose purpose is to train a large number of volunteers who can help respond to disasters within their own communities.

On Saturday (July 28), volunteers were trained on various aspects of preparing an emergency shelter, including setting up cots, preparing food, dealing with people’s pets and becoming familiar with various medical equipment that might be brought by people seeking shelter.

A common issue during Katrina in 2005 was people not understanding how to use the MRE (emergency food known as Meals Ready to Eat) and burning themselves, so volunteers also were trained in preparation of this item.

Karen Williams, a Red Cross Volunteer from Gales Ferry, CT assembles a special-needs cot at a CERT training session July 28, 2012 at ECSU. With her are (L-R) Larry Spencer, instructor Peter Diaon of the Waterford American Red Cross, Scott Trueb of Willington and Barbara Winslow of Mansfield. Photo by Marie Brennan

To learn more about CERT, click on this link http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert

Posted July 30, 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 )

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 )