UConn establishes scholarship to honor victims of Newtown shootings

In response to the grief and shock accompanying the tragic killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on Dec. 14, the University of Connecticut has created a memorial scholarship fund to honor those who died.

UConn women’s basketball Coach Geno Auriemma and his wife, Kathy, have made an $80,000 lead gift to the fund.

“Over this past difficult weekend, Kathy and I gave much consideration to what we as a family could do that would have some significance for the future,” Auriemma said. “Because UConn is so important to us, we decided to establish a scholarship and encourage other UConn alumni, friends and fans around the world to invest in the future of the Sandy Hook survivors.”

In response to the grief and shock accompanying the tragic killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Dec. 14, the University of Connecticut has created a memorial scholarship fund to honor those who died. UConn women’s basketball Coach Geno Auriemma and his wife, Kathy, have made an $80,000 lead gift to the fund.

The Sandy Hook School Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Connecticut will provide financial aid for any students who currently attends the elementary school, as well as siblings of those killed in the assault and dependents of teachers and other adults who also lost their lives, who are accepted to attend UConn in the future.

Donations will be collected through the University of Connecticut Foundation to establish a fund in anticipation of supporting the Sandy Hook Elementary students enrolled in the K-4 grades today who will be of college age beginning in approximately 2021.

For siblings and dependents of those who died, funds will be immediately expendable to provide them with scholarship assistance at UConn as needed.

All of the monies received will be spent solely for the fund’s purpose. If any funds remain once the needs of the groups above have been met, they will be used to benefit any future student from Newtown who attends UConn.

Ways to donate

More information about how to make a donation to the scholarship fund is available online at the http://www.uconn.edu and http://www.foundation.uconn.edu

• You can also visit the secure online donation page at http://www.friends.uconn.edu/sandyhook

• To make a donation by mail, send your check to The UConn Foundation, 2390 Alumni Drive-Unit 3206, Storrs, CT 06269-3206. Please note on your check that the gift is for the Sandy Hook School Memorial Scholarship Fund.

• Donations also may be made by texting 50555 with uconn newtown. UConn alumni should also add their name and graduation year. For example: uconn newtown John Smith 88. $10.00 donation to support the University of Connecticut Foundation through the mGive Foundation. Charges will appear on your wireless bill or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by the account holder. You must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to participate. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to 50555 to STOP. Text HELP to 50555 for HELP. For full terms and privacy policy: s.uconn.edu/txt

Posted December 17, 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 )

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 )

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 )

In Coventry, Siting Council gives AT&T and Verizon OK for 4G upgrade

Both AT&T and Verizon Wireless have notified the town of Coventry they have permits from the Connecticut Siting Council for upgrades of cell towers to 4G LTE capabilities in that town.

Faster wireless capabilities in Coventry and surrounding areas are on the horizon.

Both AT&T and Verizon Wireless have notified the town of Coventry they have permits from the Connecticut Siting Council for upgrades of cell towers to 4G LTE capabilities in that town.

Coventry’s towers are located at the town hall, on Riley Mountain Road, and on Bread and Milk Street.

“AT&T customers in surrounding towns have access to our 4G HSPA+ network right now,” said AT&T Public Relations Executive Katie Goudey.

4G, a wireless technology term meaning “Fourth Generation,” follows 3G as the “ latest addition” to the mobile broadband network, Goudey said.

High Speed Packet Access or HSPA+ provides extended and improved network speeds, Goudey said.

“AT&T’s already fast mobile broadband network delivers even faster 4G speeds. It’s fast and it’s only getting faster as we expand our 4G LTE network across the country,” she said.

AT&T’s 4G network in Connecticut is four times faster than any 3G network offered by any other service, Goudey said.

Goudey said AT& T is “building out” its 4G network with LTE or “long term evolution” – which refers to the ongoing process of improving wireless standards – for its customers.

Goudey said AT&T expects to have LTE upgrades to be completed nationwide by 2013.

AT& T and Verizon Wireless LTE customers often see download speeds (how long it takes a user to retrieve something from the Internet) that exceed 15 megabytes per second, and upload speeds (how long it takes to send something on the Internet) in the 10 Mbps range.

The Connecticut Siting Council is made up of nine members from various state departments. It reviews applications for siting (location) of cell towers, power plants, power lines and other energy and telecommunications infrastructure.

Council staff attorney Melanie Bachman said the approved upgrades require “no significant change to the site(s)” physically.

Goudey said there is a huge demand from customers today for faster services.

“Wireless data usage has risen nearly 10,000 percent in the past four years,” Goudey said. “ It’s clear that folks are using their smart-phones for more than just phone calls; they want to watch mobile video, play online mobile games, download presentations, stream music and more.”

Coventry Town Manager John Elsesser said the upgrades will not involve any cost to the town.

Posted July 8, 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 )

Coventry High makes the grade in national rankings

Coventry High School Principal Michele Mullaly said students who take AP courses and earn college credits are less likely to drop out from college and tend to finish college quicker.

Coventry High School was recently designated as a top high school in the state via the Washington Post’s annual rankings of the nation’s high schools.

Coventry placed 19 out of the 25 ranked schools in Connecticut and 1,429 out of 2,000 for schools ranked nationwide.

Only 9 percent of the country’s 22,000 public high schools are ranked in the Post’s survey — with a total of 2,000 qualifying schools accounted for.

Originated by education columnist Jay Mathews in 1998, the High School Challenge compares schools by a Challenge Index Score.

The score is calculated by dividing the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate Education exams at each school by the number of graduating seniors.

The exams require teachers to spend more time teaching critical thinking and analytical writing and are much longer than high school finals.

CHS Principal Michele Mullaly said, with the help of a Project Opening Doors grant, the school “opens the door to students” looking for a challenge.

Project Opening Doors (POD) is a partnership between the public and private sectors whose goal is to increase Connecticut students’ participation and achievement in AP courses and better ensure their success in college.

The high school also has many partnerships that allow students to take advantage of college courses while still in high school.

Through the UConn Early College Experience (ECE) program, the high school is able to offer 26 college credits — credits that are transferable to other colleges.

Through the Manchester Community College High School Partnership Program, the school offers nine courses, or 27 college credits, that also can be transferred from MCC to other colleges.

The school also maintains partnerships with Goodwin College, University of Saint Joseph and the University of Hartford, through which students may earn college credits.

Currently, the high school offers 10 AP classes ranging from European history to calculus.

Lead guidance counselor and AP coordinator Heather Mackintosh noted, “Participation is increasing even though enrollment is down.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of the kids,” Mullaly said.

Mullaly said students who take AP courses and earn college credits are less likely to drop out from college and tend to finish college quicker.

“This is not only rewarding for the kids, but for us as well,” Mullaly said.

Posted June 25, 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 )

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 )

In Coventry, 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 )

Last Green Valley seeks ideas for workshop series

The Last Green Valley is the member-supported, non-profit organization working locally to preserve the irreplaceable land, water, and cultural resources of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, the last predominantly undeveloped green space in the coastal sprawl between Washington, D.C. and Boston. It includes 35 towns in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Photo source: LGV

The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) has published a “Request for Proposals to Develop a Workshop Series for Municipal Officials” as part of the TLGV Sustainable Communities Program.

The Last Green Valley is the member-supported, non-profit organization working locally to preserve the irreplaceable land, water, and cultural resources of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, the last predominantly undeveloped green space in the coastal sprawl between Washington, D.C. and Boston.

TLGV plans to offer a series of high-quality workshops in the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013 that will assist municipal decision-makers, primarily volunteers, in understanding their roles and responsibilities.

The workshops will be free or low-cost for municipal boards and staff.

Targeted municipal boards include: Planning, Zoning, Inland Wetlands, Conservation, Zoning Board of Appeals, Agriculture, and Selectmen.

The workshops will focus on the tools board members need to serve effectively, including but not limited to legal authorities and requirements, discretionary decision making, web-based mapping resources, map and plan reading, running meetings and hearings, and creative land use development techniques that conserve natural resources.

TLGV is seeking proposals from qualified respondents to produce the workshop series.

The deadline for electronic submissions is July 19, 2012.

For more information or for a copy of the Request for Proposals, please contact Lois Bruinooge at 860-774-3300 or lois@tlgv.org

There are 35 towns included in the Last Green Valley.

The Connecticut municipalities are: Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Griswold, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Lisbon, Mansfield, Norwich, Plainfield, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Scotland, Sprague, Sterling, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Windham, and Woodstock.

The Massachusetts communities are: Brimfield, Charlton, Dudley, E. Brookfield, Holland, Oxford, Southbridge, Sturbridge, and Webster.

Posted June 24, 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 )

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 )