NEW HAVEN - Yale Peabody Museum's Gregory Watkins-Colwell will present "Hot Cocoa/Cool Science: Monitoring Toads, Frogs and Salamanders in Connecticut," from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

The all-ages program will examine the species diversity and distributions of the state's amphibians.

Live critters will be part of the program, and hot cocoa will be served.

Watkins-Colwell is senior museum assistant for Vertebrate Zoology at the Peabody Museum. In his research about the ecology and evolutionary biology of lizards, he has pursued field work in New Caledonia and China as well as in several states. Watkins-Colwell helps to coordinate the Connecticut Amphibian Monitoring Project, a 15-year study of species diversity and distributions of our state's amphibians. The Hot Cocoa/Cool Science series is a joint project of the Library and Yale University to bring cutting edge science to the general public.

The program and parking are free. Register at http://www.hotcocoa.eventbrite.com/ or call (203) 946-8835.

NEW HAVEN - James Hillhouse High School recently celebrated its Top Ten Females and Top Ten Males at a luncheon at Brazis restaurant. They were joined by the Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo and Principal Lonnie Garris, Jr. The celebration included special recognition of the class valedictorian, Shayna Smith along with the celebration of the Top Ten Females and Top Ten Males of the 2010 graduating class.
In the photo, seated, l to r, Ebony Dorsey, Jameel James, Shayna Smith, valedictorian, Racquel Malcolm, Mario Tecpa and Yanique Shand. Second row, l to r, Timothy Cash, Corey Dunbar, Raheem Johnson, Durrell Snow, Assistan Principal Shirley Love Joyner, Principal Lonnie Garris, Jr., Khamille Turnage, Shereen Moore, Nilofar Abdul Jamil and Ashley Maebry. Third row, l to r, Ronald Green, Quashawn Jinwright, Ronald Huggins, Haley Vincent, Julian Pearsall and Fatoumata Kourouma

Young artists share a message

NEW HAVEN - The annual holiday card sale to benefit Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer has begun.

The cards, part of a regional fundraising effort to meet the educational, recreational and treatment needs of children with cancer, are designed by young artists receiving treatment at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, officials said in a statement.

Over the past 22 years, holiday card sales have generated more than $300,000 for the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer, the statement said.

Proceeds give direct and indirect financial assistance to patients who are treated at the children's hospital and have helped fund a pediatric oncology research nurse, nursing education and research fellowships at Yale School of Medicine for physicians in pediatric oncology.

The Tommy Fund also provides recreational and diversional activities for patients, including family outings and such items as TV monitors, headphones, games and toys for patients, the statement said.

Tommy Fund holiday cards are on sale at the hospital Atrium Gift Shop, all southern Connecticut AAA motor clubs, and through the Tommy Fund Web site, http://www.tommyfund.org/.

Cards are sold in packets of 12 for $12. For more information about the Tommy Fund or the holiday card sale, contact the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer at (800) 974.5559.

And it's for a good cause


WOODBRIDGE — Scout Troop 63’s annual Christmas Tree Sale begins at 9 a.m. Nov. 28 in the back of the Woodbridge Fire House at the corner of Center and Newton roads.
Parking for the sale of fresh balsam trees is available in the Senior Center parking lot. The sale is held 3 to 8 p.m., weeknights and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends, organizers said. Free delivery is available.
Wreaths, created locally, also are available for $18 each. Each 16 inch wreath is individually distinctive, decorated with pinecones and a festive red all-weather ribbon. Plain or decorative 48 inch wreaths will be available for $65.
Our Lady of the Assumption Church on Center Road also will allow Troop 63 to sell Christmas wreaths at the chapel and rectory, starting at 9:30 a.m., Dec. 6, 13 and 20. All proceeds will benefit the Boy Scouts of Troop 63.
Inquiries for volume discounts, special circumstances or size requirements can be made to Troop 63 Committee Chairman Charles Whiting, at (203) 387-5678.

Event is free and open to the public

NEW HAVEN - To mark the 10th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s Nobel Peace Prize, Buddhist-inspired singer-songwriter Ravenna Michaelson will perform from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at the New Haven Library, 133 Elm St.


Michalsen, shown, studied at Neighborhood Music School and at Yale. Her CDs include Bloom (2006) and Dharmasong (2007).


Samples of her music are available at http://www.ravennam.com/.


The event is free and for all-ages. Free parking is available.


Reservations are suggested at http://www.ravenna.eventbrite.com/ or call the library at (203) 946-8835.


Visit http://www.nhbulletin.blogspot.com/ for regional events and information.

The event is open to the public

An open house to raise money for "Operation Home for the Holidays" will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 14, at Home Gallery Warehouse, 9 Austin Drive, Marlborough.
"Operation Home for the Holidays," an initiative of Gov. M. Jodi Rell, aims to raise $200,000 for travel expenses to bring 700 of Connecticut’s National Guard service men and women home for December break. The troops from the 1st Battalion of the 102nd Infantry Regiment and the 250th Engineering Company will be bused in from "mobilization stations" in Indiana and Wisconsin, respectively, where they now are completing preparations for deploying to Afghanistan, organizers said.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will raise money through raffle prizes, T-shirt sales and cash donations. Complimentary lunch will be provided by Agave from 1t o 3 p.m.
Businesses Fathom, Lisa Davenport’s Home Gallery and Agave, along with social media enthusiasts from CT TweetCrawl and the Marlborough Business Association are acting as hosts for the event.
The event will include entertainment for children, such as face painting, a craft table to make gifts for the troops and opportunities to meet local celebrities.
Raffle tickets will be sold for prizes ranging from spa days to a $6,000 Tibetan rug (courtesy of Lisa Davenport’s Home Gallery). Businesses wishing to make cash donations will have the opportunity to join local celebrities in the classic "big check" photo opportunity. To RSVP, go to the Facebook event page or follow the Twitter tag "#ophome."
"There is a lot of power in word of mouth, whether it’s Twitter, Facebook or good old face-to-face. We are asking everyone to use those powers for good and help us bring Connecticut’s own home," said Suzi Craig, director of Marketing and Engagement for Fathom and Founder of CT TweetCrawl.
For in-kind and cash donations for the event, e-mail Enza Dandeneau of the Marlborough Business Association atenzad@prudentialct.com; or call (860) 652-4575. For information on the event, e-mail Suzi Craig of Fathom: suzi@fathom.net, or call (860) 384-4480.

The New Haven County Marshals Association, Local 2193 of Council 4 AFSCME, recently contributed $4,500 to several causes in Greater New Haven, including an agency that works to end domestic violence.
The Marshals Association presented the donations during a recognition ceremony held at John J. Sullivan’s Restaurant in Ansonia.
"New Haven County Marshals are dedicated, hard-working and reputable individuals. Our members are peace officers who are deeply rooted in the communities where they live and work. This is our way of giving back," Richard Krueger, president of the New Haven County Marshals Association, said in a statement.
Organizations that received donations are: The Umbrella (Ansonia), $500; Ansonia Senior Center, $500; Naugatuck YMCA, $500; Prospect Senior Center, $500; Donate Life (Oxford), $500; Friends of Oxford Library, $500; Shakesperience Productions (Waterbury), $500; and Amity Animal Rescue Fund, $500.
"Marshals put their lives on the line every day to protect the public," Susan DeLeon, director of The Umbrella, said in the statement. "We appreciate their efforts and we are grateful for their continued generosity."
The Umbrella helps women and children affected by domestic violence.
Local 2193 Treasurer Mark D’Angelis said the New Haven County Marshals have made charitable contributions to area communities for 10 years. "I am proud our members for their caring and for their generosity," he said in the statement.
Local 2193 is affiliated with Council 4 of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, which represents 35,000 employees in Connecticut. Council 4 is Connecticut’s largest AFL-CIO, the statement said.
In the photo, from left: New Haven County Marshals Association President Richard Conroy; state Rep. Theresa Conroy, D-Seymour. and Umbrella Executive Director Susan DeLeon.

It's Jane Austen's birthday!


NEW HAVEN - The Elm Street Book Group will celebrate Jane Austen's birthday (whic occurred in 1775) with a screening of the 1940 classic film, "Pride and Prejudice," at 6 p.m. Dec. 16, at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.
"Fans of Austen's superb novel will have the opportunity to see how well Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson interpret the romance between Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet," organizers said.
The public is invited and free parking is available. Those who register will be eligible for a free coffee or tea to enjoy during the film, compliments of Blue State Coffee on Wall Street. Register at http://www.pandp.eventbrite.com/ or call the library at 946-8835.

Yale University and UNITE HERE donate to Hillhouse

NEW HAVEN – The New Haven Public Schools recently received a $25,000 donation from Yale University and its labor unions, UNITE HERE, school officials said in a statement.

The donation, $12,500 from the University and $12, 500 from the labor unions, was "inspired by the expedient and effective completion of the contract negotiations between the two groups earlier this year," the statement said.

"As a symbol of the good will between the two groups, they made the decision to donate to these funds toward new computers at Hillhouse High School," it said.

“Bob Proto, Local 35 president, called to suggest that this be a joint donation, and we thought it was a great idea. The university and Local 35 plan to do more community projects together in the future," Bruce Alexander, Yale vice president and director of New Haven and State Affairs and Campus Development said, also in the statement.

The donation is expected to provide more than 40 desktop computers, including monitors, software for each computer, keyboards and mice.

“We selected Hillhouse High School because we have a good deal of members in the union who have children that attend that school and we focused on computers because we believe access to technology is a very important part of a student’s education these days,” Bob Proto, president UNITE HERE Local 35, said in the statement.

Shown in the photo, l to r, are: Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo, Nadine Gannon, Jameel James, Durell Snow, Shanice Johnson, Jengodji Gates, Bruce Alexander, Bob Proto, James Hillhouse High School Principal Lonnie Garris, Nollysha Canteen, Mark Wilson, Aaron Smith, Quontaijah Alexander, Toni Ann Evans, and Amber Moye.

Or, if you simply love poetry, this is an event for you

NEW HAVEN - Poets are invited to participate in an informal Poetry Open Mic from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 4) at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.
People who want to share their own poetry, a favorite poem, or simply to listen are invited.
New Haven Poet Claire Zoghb will get things rolling with excerpts from her 2009 book of poems, "Small House Breathing," winner of the 2008 Quercus Review Book Award, organizers said. Zoghb’s work has appeared in many magazines and anthologies as well as online at http://www.locuspoint.org/, organizers said.
Twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize and winner of the 2008 Dogwood annual poetry competition, Zoghb is a recipient of two Artist Fellowships from the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, an Urban Artists Initiative grant, and a residency at the Vermont Studio Center.
The event is free and free parking is available. Participants are encouraged to bring their own coffee if desired. For more information, visit http://www.zopenmic.eventbrite.com/ or call (203) 946-8835.

HAMDEN - The Academy of Kempo Martial Arts is collecting donations to help feed area families in need.

The academy kicked off its annual food drive in September by dropping its first load of contributed food to the local soup kitchen, organizers said in a statement. Students, families and friends of the academy donated more than 13 bags of non-perishable food to date and continue to donate weekly.

The academy is continuing is to accept donations for Saint Ann’s Soup Kitchen and Keefe Center’s Food Bank, the statement said.

The two organizations help many families who have a limited amount of resources available to them due to current economic conditions, the statement said. The academy's goal is to help the organizations to help families enjoy their holidays by holding the food drive, and the hope is that during this season of giving that they can encourage others to help also, the statement said. Organizers said they are grateful to everyone who has helped the effort.
The academy is offering its students a free semi-private lesson for any five non-perishable items they donate and offering two weeks of free lessons to non-students (limited to one give away per person and cannot be combined).

Donation will be accepted through the end of the holiday season, at 1890 Dixwell Ave. For more information, call (203) 288-9990, or visit http://www.academyofkempo.com/, including to learn best times to drop off donations.

In the photo, back row, l tor, are Jordan Wieland, Gabriella Rodriguez and Gabriel Ciarleglio, Front – Hailey Ciarleglio.

Relationship of the soul and the body part of course

GUILFORD - Rabbi Yossi Yaffe will teach the course "Soul Quest: The Journey, Through Life, Death, and Beyond" for six upcoming Tuesdays beginning Nov. 10 at the Nathanial B. Greene Community Center, 32 Church St.
Through it, partcipants will "discover the ancient Jewish traditions about the relationship of the soul and the body, life and death, Heaven and Hell, and reincarnation and resurrection," organizers said.
The course, produced by the Jewish Learning Institute, is designed for people of all levels of Jewish knowledge. Lessons will examine a range of classic Jewish sources, drawing extensively from the Talmud and Kabbalah, organizers said.
The instructor, Rabbi Yaffe is of Chabad of the Shoreline.
The cost of the course is $50 and includes textbooks. Scholarships are available upon request. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. To register or for more information, call (203) 453-5580, email chabad@snet.net or visit http://www.jewishoreline.org/.

Health Department also will supply vaccines to homeless and those in need

NEW HAVEN — The city Health Department has extended its seasonal flu clinic for four weeks as a result of high demand for the vaccine, according to city officials.
The vaccines are available to residents for $15 per person, officials said in a statement. Health officials caution the elderly and other high risk individuals to visit their primary care doctor or local clinics for a vaccine or one of the city-sponsored clinics, the statement said. Residents who are able to show a valid Medicare Part B membership card will not be charged for the vaccine, the statement said.
The Health Department also will supply 200 doses of seasonal vaccine that Yale medical students will administer at St. James and St. Paul’s food pantry, at Olive and Chapel streets and on Nov. 1 will supply 200 doses through a health fair at Trinity Church on the Green for homeless and other needy populations, the statement said.
Health Department clinics to will be held at 54 Meadow St., from 9 a.m. to noon, on Nov. 3, 10, 17 and 24, the statement said.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell is getting some help for her “Operation Home for the Holidays” initiative to bring 700 Connecticut’s National Guard service men and women home for December break and the effort needs your help too.

CT TweetCrawl, Fathom and Lisa Davenport’s Home Gallery will help Rell raise $200,000 by acting as hosts for a Nov. 14 fundraiser at Home Gallery warehouse in Marlborough, organizers said.

“We wanted to host an event at the warehouse and had several great causes in mind. Once the governor announced Operation Home for the Holidays, we knew we had our cause,” Ed Richman, co-owner of Lisa Davenport’s Home Gallery, said in a statement.

The Warehouse Party event hopes to raise at least $25,000 through a dinner fundraiser to be held 6 to 7:30 p.m., with food provided by Hartford-based Agave, and a dance party from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.

Corporate sponsors will pay for the dinner; the dance party will be open to the public for $40 per person. Raffles donated by area businesses will help raise the bulk of the donations, organizers said.

T-shirts will also be sold after the event to continue raising money.

Tickets to the dance party can be purchased online at: http://ophome.eventbrite.com/. The group has formed a Facebook event and the Twitter tag “#ophome.”

“There is a lot of power in word-of-mouth, whether it’s Twitter, Facebook or good old face-to-face. We are asking everyone to use those powers for good and help us bring Connecticut’s own home,” Suzi Craig, director of marketing and engagement for Fathom and founder of CT TweetCrawl, said in the statement.

Ann Nyberg, co-anchor for Ch. 8 WTNH, is emcee for the dinner and Damon Scott of 96.5 WTIC will lead the dance party portion of the evening, organizers said. Local celebrities and Connecticut National Guard families will join the festivities.
Connecticut Army National Guard troops from two units, the 1st Battalion of the 102nd Infantry Regiment and the 250th Engineering Company, will be bused in from their “mobilization stations” in Indiana and Wisconsin, respectively, where they will be completing preparations for deploying to Afghanistan.

Rell's fund-raising effort is part of Operation ELF, or Embracing Lonely Families. For sponsorship opportunities, in-kind donations for the event’s raffle or more information, call Craig at (860) 384-4480 or e-mail suzi@fathom.net.

For direct donations, make checks payable to “CTNGFI” and send to: Connecticut National Guard Foundation, Inc., 360 Broad St., Hartford, 06105-3706

Son of the late United States senator will talk about his dad


NEW HAVEN — Ted Kennedy Jr. will be the guest speaker at Read to Grow’s annual luncheon fundraiser at noon Nov. 13 at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, 155 Temple St.
The event, for which Jonathan and Josephine Bush are honorary co-chairmen, is sponsored by Citizens Bank, a long-time supporter of the statewide literacy nonprofit, organizers said.
Kennedy, a Greater New Haven resident and son of the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, will talk about his father’s autobiography, "True Compass," organizers said.
Read to Grow works to build literacy for all Connecticut children. Last year, it distributed more than 110,000 new and gently used books to youngsters across the state, organizers said.
Tickets start at $100 and include lunch and a copy of the elder Kennedy’s book. Corporate and group tables are available. Read to Grow is offering a $150 seat that includes a $50 donation towards a ticket for an area high school student who otherwise would not be able to attend. For more information, call Read to Grow at (203) 488-6800 or register online at www.readtogrow.org.

Book Lover's Luncheon features Pulitzer Prize winning author


NEW HAVEN - Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for The New Yorker magazine’s “SkyLine” column and author of the newly published “Why Architecture Matters,” will be the featured guest at the Patrons of the New Haven Public Library’s Book Lover’s Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 28.

The 2nd annual fundraising luncheon benefiting the public library will be held at Union League Café.

Robert A. M. Stern, dean and J.M. Hoppin Professor, Yale School of Architecture, will facilitate the luncheon discussion on architecture.

For more information and to purchase tickets, call Barbara Segaloff, Library Development Office at (203) 946-8130 ext. 314 or e-mail barbara.segaloff@nhfpl.org

The library also will present Goldberger in a civic conversation focused on Public Architecture at 6 p.m. Oct. 28in the Ives (Main)Branch, 133 Elm St.

Goldberger will be joined by Hartford Courant Columnist Tom Condon. The program is free and open to the public.

Goldberger began his career at The New York Times where his architectural criticism was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Criticism in 1984. Author of several books, including his chronicle of the Ground Zero rebuilding process, “Up From Zero: Politics, Architecture and the Rebuilding of New York,” Goldberger’s newest work “Why Architecture Matters” is a handbook on how to look at buildings and view them in their contexts of environment and history.

He is a graduate of Yale University, holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design at The New School in New York City, and lectures widely on architecture, design, historic preservation and cities.

NEW HAVEN — The New Haven Power Squadron is offering a seamanship class to anyone who holds a boater’s license and would like to further their skills and boating knowledge.
Classes will be held at The Foote Building of The Sound School, 17 Sea St., beginning Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. For more information call Art Andrea at (203) 468-1210

NEW HAVEN - The public is invited to a discussion with historian Frank DeFina, who will present a talk, "The Wound in the Heart: American Neutrality in the Spanish Civil War 1936-39," at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.
DeFina will explore the effect of America's neutrality in the Spanish Civil War on events leading to World War II, the library said.
DeFina has hada varied academic, professional and personal life studying, teaching and traveling in many countries. He earned a bachelor's degree in Education & English from SUNY, a Master's in history from the University of New Mexico, and a doctorate in Spanish-American History from the University of Madrid.
DeFina has taught at all levels here and abroad and served as Study Abroad Director in Seville and Madrid for various American universities and studied and taught at the universities of Madrid, Granda, and Seville, where he was a Fulbright Lecturer.
He also taught English and American Studies at various Chinese universities in Shangahi, Nanjing, Chengdu, and Tianjin. Currently an adjunct professor at Gateway Community College, DeFina is an avid reader and traveler, especially to Spain, whose history and culture continue to intrigue him.
Please register to attend at www.woundinheart.eventbrite.com or call the library at (203) 946-8835.

NEW HAVEN — The Police Department is seeking applicants for its Citizens’ Academy that will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. for eight consecutive Wednesdays, beginning on Oct. 28, at the Police Academy, 710 Sherman Parkway.
The program is designed to improve communication and understanding between police and residents, city officials said in a statement. It will give about 35 people an opportunity to work with officers and "get a behind the scenes look at a progressive, community-minded police department," the statement said.
Applications are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the Police Academy, Forms a also are available at police substations, the main desk at police headquarters at 1 Union Ave., area libraries and at: www.cityofnewhaven.com.
Completed applications should be dropped off at the Police Academy by Friday. Citizens’ Academy staff will hold extended hours from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday at the academy to answer questions and review applications.
Applicants must be at least 18 by the first day of classes, have no major felony convictions and no convictions involving domestic violence.
Applications will be processed by the Police Department and potential candidates will be subject to a basic criminal history check. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Participants are required to commit to actively participating in all eight sessions.
For more information, call the Police Academy at (203)-946-6119 or e-mail policeacademy@newhavenct.net.

Spend Halloween with the Peabody

We all know snakes and spiders really are not scary - but nature's little pest controllers will play that role from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave.

"The Natural History of Witches and Wizards: A Peabody Halloween," is the Peabody’s annual celebration of the animals and nature-based traditions associated with Halloween and will feature creatures like spiders and snakes as well as some of the strangest-looking specimens from the collections.

There also will be mask-making and other fun educational activities, organizers said. The cost is included with Museum admission of $5-7, no charge for children younger than 3.

WOODBRIDGE - The public is invited to the Friends of the Woodbridge Library Annual Purves Lecture at 7 p.m. Oct. 26.

The featured speaker will be Kimberly Hatcher-White, executive director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center.

Born and reared in Willimantic, Hatcher-White is a tribal member descended from the Anna Williams family line, and is the youngest daughter of tribal elder Marion Madeline Harris-Hatcher, organizers said in a statement.

Hatcher-White was named executive director in 2006. She has worked extensively with the museum's collections and exhibits, providing for long term care and preservation of the tribe's cultural heritage, the statement said.

She is a magna cum laude graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University, and is completing the certificate program in Museum Studies at Tufts University.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

The Purves Lecture is an annual event sponsored by Friends of the Woodbridge Library. The series was created by the family of Marjorie Purves, a past Friends member, to memorialize her and to perpetuate her love of books, love of great literature and most importantly, to share that love with the Woodbridge community, the statement said.

NEW HAVEN - You're definitely not over the hill but if you were part of the Hill neighborhood then this is the event for you.
The annual Hill Reunion will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 12 at Anthony's Ocean View, 450 Lighthouse Road. The cost is $27 per person and includes a buffet lunch. There will be a cash bar. For reservations, mail a check to Nick DeMatties, 140 Capt. Thomas Blvd., West Haven, 06516. Deadline is Oct. 30.
There will be no table reservations, so arrive early to save available seating. For more information, call DeMatties at (203) 932-1528.

NEW HAVEN - Columbus House shelter for the homeless was one the beneficiaries from the first-ever BlumShapiro 5K for Charity this year.

The shelter on Ella Grasso Boulevard was given a check for $2,500 as part of the mission of the 5K race, to raise money and food donations "to help provide meals, shelter, housing support and other outreach services to the homeless in Connecticut," officials said.

BlumShapiro, an accounting, tax and business consulting firm, has offices in Shelton.

“The BlumShapiro 5K for Charity is a fun way for the whole community to join together and help those in need during these tough economic times,” Tom DeVitto, chief marketing officer of BlumShapiro said in a release. “On both an individual and company-wide basis, we have a strong history of giving back, and we’re glad we can expand our reach by partnering with the Travelers Championship and the PGA TOUR to make this event such a remarkable success.”

The BlumShapiro 5K for Charity benefited a total of four Connecticut-based organizations:· Columbus House; East Hartford Homeless Shelter; Thomas Merton House, Bridgeport; and St. Vincent de Paul Society of Waterbury.

BlumShapiro’s 5K for Charity, which drewmore than 300 runners, raised a total of $10,000 and provided each organization with a donation of $2,500, the release said. Jay Sattler, partner at BlumShapiro, was this year’s 5K winner with a time of 17:23.

With continued support of participants, vendor partners and volunteers, BlumShapiro looks forward to helping more charities through next year’s 5K, as well as through charitable acts throughout the year, the release said. Event sponsors included the Travelers Championship, the Hartford Marathon Group, Nature Valley Granola Bars and Coca-Cola.

BlumShapiro also has offices in West Hartford, Waterbury and Westport.

In the photo: Mike Niedermeier, partner-in-charge of BlumShapiro’s Shelton office, presents John Brooks, director of development at Columbus House, with $2,500.

Booths still available

NEW HAVEN - The Connecticut Black Expo 2009 is seeking sponsors and exhibitors for this year’s event, which will take place from noon to 8 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Citywide Fieldhouse, 480 Sherman Parkway.

The event will include health screenings and essential public information, prizes and other giveaways, organizers said.
There also will be special appearances, as well as performances, by Branden "Jus-B" Wilson, and Connecticut’s own ChrisCam International Recording Artist, Earl Whitaker, along with several Gospel soloists and groups.
Admission is $10 for Adults, and $5 for children 12 years of age and younger.

There are about 50 booth spaces still available, and exhibitors are encouraged to make reservations soon. The previous deadline of Oct. 15 has been extended due to the overwhelming response.
Sponsors and exhibitors can call (203) 558-0066, or visit www.ctblackexpo.net
for forms, additional information and updates.
Volunteers also are urged to call to participate.

NEW HAVEN — Oakland Athletics player and former Red Sox all-star Nomar Garciaparra is the guest speaker for the Strike 3 Foundation second annual First Pitch Celebrity Gala at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Omni New Haven Hotal at Yale, 155 Temple St.
A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be given to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital to help enhance its Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program, organizers said in a statement.
"Bone marrow transplant is an area that has transformed the treatment of cancers and diseases that were incurable in the past," Craig Breslow, founder and president of Strike 3 Foundation saind in the statement. "We are looking forward to a wonderful evening of fun and entertainment that will help bring us closer to a day when childhood cancer doesn’t exist."
The Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Program at YNHCH provides care and support to children and their families each year who would otherwise have to travel out-of-state for treatment. Strike 3 has pledged $500,000 to support enhancing the program, the statement said.
"Strike 3’s gift is helping Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital to further develop its exceptional transplant program. Craig and his foundation are dedicated to raising funds and awareness for children battling cancer," Dr. Gary Kupfer, chief of pediatric hematology and oncology at YNHCH said, also in the statement.
The gala features live entertainment and live and silent auctions. Tickets are $185 per person and include parking at the Omni. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit www.strike3foundation.org or call (203) 502-0007.
Breslow, a Trumbull native and Major League baseball player who pitches for the Oakland A’s, founded Strike 3 in 2008. Breslow’s sister is a survivor of childhood cancer and the foundation aims to heighten awareness, mobilize support and raise funding for childhood cancer research.

The Wags & Whiskers Animal Welfare Group will hold a benefit night from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 15 at T.G.I. Friday's, 348 Boston Post Raod, Orange. Twenty percent of the evening proceeds (excluding alcohol, tax, and gratuity) will be donated to Wags & Whiskers Animal Welfare.
To help the cause, a benefit night flier must be presented. To obtain the flier or for more information, call Jim at 937-3642 or e-mail pounddogs@yahoo.com

NEW HAVEN - Masaaki Suzuki, the renowned conductor and Bach scholar, will conduct the Yale Schola Cantorum in a concert of Bach motets and cantatas at 8 p.m. Oct. 24 at St. Mary’s Church, 5 Hillhouse Ave.

The concert, Maestro Suzuki’s first as newly-appointed director of Yale Schola Cantorum, will include Singet dem Herrn BWV 225; Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229; Jesu, der du meine Seele BWV 78; and Ein Feste Burg BWV 80, organizers said in a statement.
Since founding Bach Collegium Japan in 1990, Masaaki Suzuki has established himself as a leading authority on the works of Bach. He has remained their music director since, taking them regularly to major venues and festivals in Europe and the USA, and building up an outstanding reputation for the expressive refinement and truth of his performances, the statement said.

He now regularly is invited to work together with renowned European soloists and groups, such as Collegium Vocale Gent and the Freiburger Barockorchester, with whom he visited several European capitals, and recently appeared in London with the Britten Sinfonia in a program of Britten, Mozart and Stravinsky, it said.

Forthcoming engagements with other ensembles include the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Nagoya Philharmonic and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic Orchestras.
Suzuki’s impressive discography on the BIS label, featuring Bach’s complete works for harpsichord, and his interpretations of Bach’s major choral works and sacred cantatas with Bach Collegium Japan, of which he has already completed over forty volumes of a project to record the complete series, have brought him many critical plaudits, the statement said.
The free concert is presented by Yale Institute of Sacred Music; no tickets are required. More information is online at www.yale.edu/ism or by calling (203) 432-5062.

NEW HAVEN — Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven will hold its 10th Annual Sound of Hope event from 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 7 at Long Wharf Pier. The annual event is free and open to the public and is held in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to commemorate victims and survivors of domestic violence.
Last year, DVS provided emergency shelter, crisis services, counseling, advocacy and other support services to more than 7,000 women and children in Greater New Haven, Milford and the shoreline.
Scheduled speakers for the event include state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal; New Haven Board of Alderman President Carl Goldfield; state Rep. Milford, Barbara Lambert, D-Milford; Tirzah Kemp, of STRIVE New Haven; and Pam Nuchols of Guilford Youth and Family Services, organizers said. Testimonials from domestic violence survivors are planned, as is a reading of names of state residents who lost their lives to domestic violence in the past year. Participants will receive a flower to throw into the harbor; each flower represents hopes and struggles of survivors as they work to end violence in their lives and honors those who died due to domestic violence. The event will culminate with a bagpipe procession and light snack.
For more information about DVS or the event, call (203) 865-1957, or the DVS 24-hour crisis hotline at (203) 789-8104, or visit www.dvsgnh.org. DVS is a program of Birmingham Group Health Services, Inc.

NEW HAVEN — Gateway Community College President Dr. Dorsey L. Kendrick has been selected to receive two prestigious awards this fall, one from the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, the other from the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches, the college said in a statement.

Kendrick will be one of five women who receive the CWEALF Maria Stewart Award on Oct. 6 at the CWEALF’s “One Woman Makes a Difference” Dinner at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, the statement said.

The award is given to women who are courageous, inspiring and talented leaders, as well as role models for their efforts to advance the cause of equality in Connecticut, it said.

Kendrick also was selected as one of the “100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut” by the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches. The organization will honor award recipients Nov. 6 at its annual convention at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Ledyard, an event that also will celebrate the organization’s 100th birthday. The award honors individuals whose efforts transcend their profession or position and command national or statewide influence that affects African Americans.

Kendrick, a New Haven resident, has served as GCC president since 1999. Since then, enrollment rose from fewer than 3,000 students to more than 6,000. Reared in Jackson, Tenn., Kendrick was one of three students in 1967 to integrate Union University, where she later earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, the statement said. She also holds a master’s degree in business management from Cardinal Stritch University, a doctorate in philosophy in higher education administration from Walden University, and is a graduate of the Institute of Education Management at Harvard University. Kendrick was the first African-American woman to hold the position of associate dean and dean of the School of Business at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She went on to become the highest-ranking African-American woman in Wisconsin’s system of higher education as executive vice president of Milwaukee Area Technical College, the statement said.

NEW HAVEN - Yale-New Haven Hospital has awarded the first three $1,000 Martin Luther King Community Service Awards to New Haven students who are setting examples in their community

Recipients are: Kaneez Anwar, a junior at Career High School, and Avital Silverman and Crystal Ayala, both students at Wilbur Cross High School.

YNHH's service award program honors the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., by providing scholarships to eligible high school students, as well as grants to New Haven elementary schools, the hospital said in a statement.

To qualify, students must log 20 or more hours of uncompensated community service and write a description of how their experiences helped them appreciate the differences in others, the statement said.

"A scholarship can really make a positive difference in a young person's life - and ultimately in our community," Pat Worthy, manager of workforce diversity at YNHH, said in the statement. "This is a perfect way for us to honor Dr. King - by finding and celebrating the next generation of community leaders."

Yale-New Haven has mailed grant applications to all public elementary school principals and will announce recipients at the end of November. The grants will support educational programs and activities that build on King's philosophy and goal of inclusion, teach the value of diversity and tolerance and bring people of different backgrounds together, the statement said.

Shown in the photo, l-r, are: Paul Patton, vice president of human resources at YNHH; Kaneez Anwar; Pat Worthy, manager, workforce diversity, YNHH; and Michael Ceraso, principal, Career High School.

NEW HAVEN - The Elm Street Book Group has chosen the book "Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise," a New York Times Bestseller by Ruth Reichl as its selection for the October meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

The discussion will be facilitated by Sue Hartt, seminar leader and founder of Writing Matters!

Copies of the book are available at the library for checkout.

The Elm Street Book Group meets monthly at the library to discuss books that are selected from a list provided by The CT Humanities Council.

The group is open to the public but space is limited, and registration is required at http://www.octbookgroup.eventbrite.com/.

Blue State Coffee on Wall Street provides coffee or tea for pick-up prior to the discussion. Beverage coupons will be e-mailed to registered participants.

For more information, call the library at (203) 946-8835.

Reichl, food critic and editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine also was a food critic for The New York Times.

NEW HAVEN — The Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees is seeking a special tree to be the centerpiece on the Green during the winter holidays. The tree must be 55 to 70 feet high and should be a Norway spruce or Douglas fir; not a blue spruce. The donated tree will be removed from the property free of charge.

Trees between 25 and 40 feet high will be considered for future years or other sites.
To donate a tree, call Christy Hass at the department’s Maintenance Division at 946-8576.

NEW HAVEN — United Way of Greater New Haven has submitted a video of the James Hillhouse High School football team’s United Way’s Days of Action demolition project to the Live United Story Contest.
To vote for the video, "Champions On and Off the Field," visit hillhousechampions.uwgnh.org, and click register in the blue box on the right side of the screen. Then join to create an account, and click vote on the top left side of the video. Supporters can log in once a day and vote, through midnight Sept. 30.
The winner of the contest will be featured in a United Way commercial in 2010.

You have a pet and you know it's the cutest of its kind.

But pets are way more than just a pretty face and a new pet-themed film festival aims to prove it - possibly with your help.
Soul Friends, Inc, a statewide nonprofit psychotherapy and educational organization that helps at risk children with interactive activities, including therapy animals, will premiere its first pet-themed film festival from 10 a.m. to noon, Nov. 21 at Showcase Cinemas in North Haven. The charity is asking for submissions of short films that demonstrate how animals help people feel better.
“We regularly experience the healing power of animals in our daily work with children and adolescents,” Kate Nicoll, executive director of Soul Friends, Inc., said in a statement. “By hosting this mainstream inaugural film festival, we hope to show the entire state of Connecticut what our clients have already learned…life is more enriching interacting with animals.”
To officially enter the Petflix Film Festival, pet lovers and aspiring filmmakers are encouraged to submit a video that is less than five 5 long, or within the 5-10 minute category.
An independent panel of judges will score the film shorts based on originality, cinematography, message and overall theme, the statement said. The top three entries from each category will then be screened as part of the two-hour film festival. Participants may submit more than one entry, the statement said.
“Besides seeing some of Connecticut’s new shining stars on the big screen, attendees will also learn about local animal rescue groups, animal sanctuaries and other non-profit organizations that promote and preserve the healing benefits of the animal-human bond,” Nicoll said in the statement.
The entry fees for a Petflix film short submission is $15. Tickets to the event are $5 in advance and $8 the day of the show. Visit http://www.soul-friends.org/ to register and for more information.
Soul Friends, Inc. has since 2003 "served more than 3,000 children impacted by grief, trauma, loss and/or social emotional challenges by integrating nature and animals in individual or group psychotherapy," the statement said. Services include interactive animal assisted psychotherapy, dog training for special needs children, equine assisted psychotherapy and crisis response therapy dogs, it said.

Bestselling author Casey Sherman will sign copies of his new true crime thriller "Bad Blood" at the 36th Annual New England Independent Booksellers Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show at 1 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

About Casey Sherman: The Simon & Schuster Web site says, "Casey Sherman is the author of two novels, "Black Irish" and "Black Dragon." He’s also the author of the acclaimed true crime thriller "A Rose for Mary: The Hunt for the Real Boston Strangler, " his investigation into his aunt’s murder.

Sherman has been nominated for an Emmy Award, has appeared on dozens of national television programs and has been profiled by numerous magazines and newspapers.

He also is the author of the nonfiction work, “The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue.” (Scribner). Co-written with Michael J. Tougias, it recounts the story of the blizzard of February 1952, when two ships collided off the coast of Cape Cod and the rescue mission that unfolded on the high seas. Sherman lives in Massachusetts.

Find out more about the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby in an event at the library

Forensic Document Examiner Ana Kyle will discuss facets of the Lindbergh case 6 p.m. Sept. 30 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

IT all started on March 1, 1932, when the toddler son of aviator Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh was abducted from his home in East Amwell, N.J. More than two months later, his boy's body was discovered a short distance from the Lindbergh home. A medical examination determined that the toddler died from a "massive fracture of the skull."
After an investigation that lasted more than two years, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was charged with the crime. The trial lasted more than a year, and on Feb. 13, 1935, Hauptmann was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to die. Though he proclaimed his innocence, he was executed by electric chair at the New Jersey State Prison on April 3, 1936.
Newspaper writer H.L. Mencken called the kidnapping and subsequent trial "the biggest story since the Resurrection."


The crime spurred Congress to pass the Federal Kidnapping Act, commonly called the "Lindbergh Law," that made transporting a kidnapping victim across state lines a federal crime.

Ana Kyle is a court-certified document examiner with 36 years of experience in the field of questioned documents and psychological profiling through handwriting. She is the author of "The Dead Poets Plus One: the Lindbergh Kidnap Case" (2004), and "Two Men and One Pair of Shoes : The Trial of Richard Hauptmann" (2007).

The information contained here was provided by the New Haven Public Library, only very lightly edited by Elm City Express

The Saint Raphael Foundation has will hold a new benefit for the Father Michael J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care, a bicycling event in Branford called “Bruce’s Ride” on Oct. 4 at Owenego Beach and Tennis Club in Branford.

The ride features 10-, 25- and 55-mile courses for cyclists of all ages and abilities, organizers said.

Dr. Steven Angelo, M.D., director of Saint Raphael’s Hospitalist Program, is chairman of the event, which is named for his father-in-law, Bruce Pantani, a beloved Branford native and building contractor who died of lung cancer in 2008, organizers said.

“The recent death of my father-in-law really opened my eyes to the tremendous needs of cancer patients and their families,” Angelo said in a statement. “As an avid cyclist, my dream of organizing a premier Shoreline bicycling event seemed like the perfect way to remember Bruce, raise cancer awareness and support Saint Raphael’s cancer patients.”

Bruce’s Ride is sponsored by B. Pantani and Sons Builders and Branford Building Supplies and proceeds will benefit the Father Michael J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care. Supporters include Paul and Co., Drescher Insurance, W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home and Ritch, Greenberg and Hassan, P.C. Additional support is needed and sponsorship categories are available from $100 to $5,000.

The family-friendly event begins at 6:45 a.m., with registration for the 55-mile ride, followed by staggered start times for the 10- and 25-mile rides. A picnic-style lunch follows at noon and features family entertainment and waterfront dining. Registration to participate as a cyclist is $50 for adults and $25 for children ages 13 to 18. There is no charge for children younger than 12, but they must be accompanied by an adult. All cyclists will receive a commemorative T-shirt, complimentary refreshments, road assistance throughout the course and a continental breakfast and lunch, organizers said.

For more information or to register for Bruce’s Ride, call the Saint Raphael Foundation at (203) 789-3316 or visit http://www.active.com/ and search for “Bruce’s Ride.”

In the photo: Bruce’s Ride planning committee members include, l to r, Laura, Dennis, Johanne, Bruce and Renee Pantani (seated) and Dr. Robert Nardino, Bill Albinger, and Dr. Steven and Donna Angelo.

NEW HAVEN — As September is National Preparedness Month, and to encourage the public to prepare for a disaster or emergencies, the Yale New Haven Health System office of emergency preparedness will hold an informational fair from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Sept. 10, in the atrium of Yale-New Haven Hospital, 20 York St.

OEP staff will answer questions, show visitors how to prepare a kit for use in the event of a disaster and have information available to help individuals and families better prepare for an emergency.
The information fair is free and open to the public. For more information, those interested should call Eugenie Schwartz, BSN, Medical Reserve Corps Program Coordinator, OEP, 688-3224 or e-mail center@ynhh.org.

NEW HAVEN - The SoHu Block Watch Association will act as host for a showing of the movie "The Princess Bride" at 8 p.m. Sept. 4 the College Woods section of East Rock Park.

The event is free, as it was paid for by donations from Cafe Romeo's, Amadeus Center for Health, Nica's Market, and P&M Orange Food Market.

The Hugo Kauder Society will present its 5th annual International Hugo Kauder Competition from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Neighborhood Music School, 100 Audubon St.

Ten woodwind players including flutists, clarinetists, and oboists, under the age of 35 and of various nationalities, have been selected to perform in front of a distinguished live jury, organizers said.

The musicians will compete for first, second and third place by performing classical music pieces composed by Hugo Kauder, as well as classical, romantic, and contemporary works, organizers said. Cash prizes will be awarded. They will be accompanied on piano by last year’s Piano Competition winner, Ryo Yanagitani. The first prize winner also will receive a concert
opportunity in New York City.
The distinguished Competition judges are Richard Stoltzman of New England Conservatory,
Joanne Baxtresser of Carnegie Mellon University and Doris Goltzer of New York City Opera.
The Prize Winners Concert will begin at 2 p.m. Sept. 12, at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St.
The Hugo Kauder Society’s mission is to foster awareness and appreciation for the work of
Viennese composer Hugo Kauder (1888-1972), to create opportunities for emerging musicians to
gain wider exposure, and to provide the audience with the unique opportunity to be present at
premieres of Kauder’s musical works, organizers said in a statement. Hugo Kauder came to the United States as a refugee in 1940 and many of his works have not yet been performed publicly. Several pieces performed in this competition will be world or United States premieres, the statement said.
The public is invited to attend the competition, which is free, as well as the Prize Winners
Concert (suggested contribution $10).
For more information, visit www.hugokauder.org.
The members of the Hugo Kauder Society, Inc. Board of Directors are Norman Dee, Helen Kauder, Nina Kauder, Abram Kreeger, Luis Vargas and Siegmund Levarie, emeritus.

NEW HAVEN - A two-hour seminar for job seekers, "Careers Forward: Job Finding in a Tough Economy," will be presented by Marcia LaReau, from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 29 at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.


LaReau, president of Forward Motion (http://www.forward-motion.biz/), will cover job application essentials, interview preparation and networking.


There is no charge, but registration is required at http://www.careersforward.eventbrite.com/ or call the library at 946-7431.

Might be from Orange or West Haven



Staff from the Orange Fire Marshal's office, and an engine and crew from West Haven's West Shore Fire District made some news friends recently with a visit to the Bright Horizons at Yale West Campus.


The public fire safety education event included about 25 children, who were given lessons in fire safety such as "Stop, Drop, and Roll," and how to escape a fire should one occur in their homes, Orange Fire Marshal Timothy Smith said.


The children also had a chance to tour the newest piece of fire equipment that West Shore Fire Department recently purchased. The daycare is located on the Yale West campus, and the response to this facility for fire is handled by both Orange and West Shore fire units.


Working together with neighboring fire agencies has become standard with many communities, and this event was a perfect example of this cooperation, officials said.

NEW HAVEN - A retired educator with more than 40 years of experience in Greater New Haven has joined Gateway Community College’s new Center for Working Students as its coordinator, the college said in a statement.

James M. Boger has a doctorate in educational administration from Columbia University. He retired from the New Haven public schools in 2004 after 34 years in a variety of positions, including principal at various secondary schools and director of adult education, the position from which he retired, GCC said in a statement. While director of adult education, Boger created a transition program with GCC to help students get a head start with their college studies. In Boger also previously was director of program implementation at Dr. James Comer’s School Development Program, which is part of Yale University’s Child Studies Center. Additionally, he has been an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College, the statement said.

“Although I was enjoying my retirement, the opportunity to help launch this kind of unique, integrated assistance to the Gateway community was just too compelling to pass up,” Boger said in the statement. “This program will help students easily access a spectrum of services they would otherwise have to navigate on their own and provide the follow-up they need to reach their academic goals.”

GCC’s Center for Working Students was created this year through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The center provides GCC students with a comprehensive set of services and support designed to help them complete a college degree, earn more money, and ultimately provide better futures for their families and children. It acts as a concierge resource, connecting students to academic support services, career planning services, income and work support services, and financial literacy services.

For more information, visit http://www.gwcc.commnet.edu/.

NEW HAVEN — A free eight-week course for the "computer illiterate" will be held at Gateway Community College beginning Sept. 14 at the Long Wharf Campus.
Designed for those with no previous computer skills, classes will meet once a week for two hours. Enrollment is very limited and senior citizens are welcome. Registration forms are available in the reception area at Gateway’s Long Wharf Campus. Participants are ask to register by Sept. 11.

NEW HAVEN — The Registrars of Voters office will extend its hours for issues pursuant to participation in the Democratic primaries for the Board of Aldermen, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 1. at 200 Orange St., second floor.The mandatory primary enrollment session will be held for voter registration, enrollment in a party, change of address and to hear requests, from persons removed from voting lists, for adding names to the registry list. The office also is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

NEW HAVEN — The New Haven Public School district has invited all students and their parents to a "Back-to-School Rally" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, August 29, rain or shine, at the New Haven Athletic Center, 480 Sherman Parkway.
Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. and Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo will be special guests to the event. In addition to information about school and community services, there will be games and activities, giveaways of school supplies and other necessities, and all attendees will be provided with food, drinks, and fun for free, organizers said.

NEW HAVEN — The New Haven Public School district will hold orientation sessions for all parents and guardians of students in fifth through twelfth grade Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Parents and guardians must attend one orientation sessions before their children can officially begin school.
For parents and guardians of students attending Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet, Beecher, Bishop Woods, Betsy Ross Arts Magnet, Katherine Brennan, Celentano Museum Academy, Clemente Leadership Academy, Clinton Avenue, Columbus Family Academy, Conte/West Hills Magnet, Davis Street 21st Century Magnet, East Rock Magnet, Edgewood Magnet, Science and Engineering University, Fair Haven, Hill Central Music Academy, Benjamin Jepson Magnet, John C. Daniels , John S. Martinez, King/Robinson Magnet, Lincoln-Bassett, MicroSociety Magnet Elementary, Nathan Hale, Ross/Woodward, Mauro-Sheridan, Troup Magnet Academy of Science, Truman, Wexler/Grant Community, Worthington Hooker, and Urban Youth Center schools, there will be six sessions from which to choose. They are: 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Aug. 31 for fifth and sixth grades and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. for seventh and eighth grades and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 1, for fifth through eighth grades.
For students at Cross CT Scholars Program, New Horizons School for Higher Achievement, Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross high schools and Polly T. McCabe Center, here will be five different sessions from which to choose. They are at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 for ninth grade; 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. for tenth to twelfth grades; and again at 1 and 6 p.m. Sept. 1 from grades nine through twelve.
For parents of students at High School in the Community, Cooperative Arts and Humanities and Hill Regional Career high schools, Hyde Leadership Academy, Metropolitan Business Academy, New Haven Academy, Riverside Education Academy, and Sound School, sessions will be at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 for new students and those entering ninth grade, at 1 and 6 p.m., also Aug. 31, for grades ten through twelve, and at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sept. 1, for grades nine to twelve.
Parents with more than one child in the district need to attend only one orientation. A waiver will be provided for parents to fill out and send with other children, so they can be admitted to their school’s orientation.

NORTH HAVEN - The Praxair Cancer Crusaders team, which will participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure breast cancer walk, will hold a tag sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 26 at Praxair Surface Technologies, 441 Sackett Point Road.
Donations for the sale are being accepted at the Praxair shipping department. Pickup can be arranged. For more information, call DeeAnn Rich at 287-2732. Rain date is Sept. 27

NEW HAVEN - Mystery writer Carole Shmurak will speak about "the romantic lives" of fictional detectives from Sherlock Holmes to Kinsey Milhone, in "Private Lives of Private Eyes" afrom 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.
In her discussion of "the loners, the lovers, and the marrieds," Shmurak also will touch upon her own amateur sleuth, Susan Lombardi, who returns in Death at Hilliard High, the latest installment in the author’s mystery series, organizers said.
Shmurak is professor emeritus at Central Connecticut State University. She is the author of 10 books, including Deadmistress, the first Susan Lombardi mystery and a 2004 Writers Notes Magazine Notable Book. Shmurak also facilitates book discussions for the CT Humanities Council, including the "Connecticut Sisters in Crime" series which was recently held in New Haven. Copies of Death at Hilliard High will be available for purchase and signing following Shmurak’s talk.
The program and parking are free. Register at www.privateeyes.eventbrite.com or call the library at 946-8835.

NEW HAVEN — Experience Corps, an AmeriCorps program, needs people age 55 and older to tutor children in reading and writing in Hamden schools 12 or more hours a week.
No teaching/tutoring experience is necessary; training is provided. Stipends are available. Readers must be able to pass a background check, including fingerprinting. To find out more, attend one informational meeting at Miller Memorial Library Friends’ Room, 2901 Dixwell Ave. Hamden on any of the following dates/times: 10:30 a.m. August 17; 2 p.m. August 18 and August 24 at 2, 10:30 a.m. August 27 and Sept. 1.
For more information, call Sheila at 752-3059 x2900 or email volunteer@aoapartnerships.org
Experience Corps - Greater New Haven is one of 20 national Experience Corps projects and is a program of the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut in partnership with United Way of Greater New Haven and Hamden Public Schools.
The project is supported by the Connecticut Commission on Community Service, a partnership of the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Connecticut Department of Higher Education.
The Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut works to provide a continuum of opportunities, care and support services that allow older adults to remain in their homes and communities, avoid unwanted and unnecessary institutionalization, and to age in place with dignity, respect and maximum independence. AASCC, organized and operated under the auspices of the federal Older Americans Act, is a regional planning, funding and direct service non-profit organization. AASCC directly serves almost 37,000 individuals annually through its own departments, formally partners with over 110 home and community-based service providers, coordinates service delivery through the local Interagency Council on Aging, and makes grants of federal and state funds to agencies that serve older adults.

NEW HAVEN — The Yale-New Haven Hospital Digital Mammography Van will be in Yale University Lot 22 near the Peabody Museum, providing screening mammograms to eligible women on several upcoming dates.
The schedule is: Aug. 20; Sept. 1 and 25; Oct. 2 and 26; Nov. 5 and 18; Dec. 1 and 4.
For insured women, the insurance company is charged. For uninsured women, there are programs to cover the costs. For an appointment, call 688-6800.

NEW BRITAIN — Autism Speaks will hold Strike Out Autism Night Aug. 15 at New Britain Stadium, 230 John Karbonic Way. Gates will open at 5:35 p.m. and the game will start at 7:05.
To buy tickets, contact Traci Murray at (860) 675-5302 or tamurray@snet.net.
Half of all proceeds from tickets purchased from Murray will benefit Autism Speaks.

NEW HAVEN - The New Haven Library is inviting the public to the Connecticut premiere of "Round Eyes in the Middle Kingdom," a film by Ronald Levaco, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Oct. 1, at the library, 133 Elm St.

The free screening is part of the library’s Independent Directors Film Series, and was selected to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, organizers said.

Filmmaker Ronald Levaco was born in China of Russian Jewish parents, but his family fled when he was 10 after the revolution began in 1949, organizers said. Many years, he returned to China to learn what happened to his father’s best friend, Israel Epstein, a Russian Jew who, unlike most Westerners at the time, decided to stay, organizers said
"Round Eyes in the Middle Kingdom" is the filmmaker’s attempt to understand why Epstein joined Mao’s communist revolution, remaining in China even after being subjected to solitary confinement during the 1970s, and electing to become a Chinese citizen, organizers said. The film also is Levaco’s reconciliation of his comfortable colonial childhood with the harsh conditions that led to revolution, organizers said.

The screening possible through a grant from the International Association of New Haven. For information, visit http://www.roundeyes.eventbrite.com/ or call the library at (203) 946-7431.

The photo shows filmmaker Ronald Levaco in "Round Eyes in the Middle Kingdom."

NEW HAVEN — Bishop Lonnell Lawson of Powerhouse Temple Ministries will be honored Sunday for community service and leadership.
The award will be presented at the Connecticut Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ’s 36th Annual Holy Convocation.
Bishop H.D. Bordeaux, prelate of the Church of God in Christ, will deliver Sunday’s official day message.
Sunday’s event starts at noon at Macedonia Church of God in Christ, 151 Newhall St.
Lawson, who is serving his third term as president of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association, is the first black chaplain at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He founded Powerhouse Temple Ministries in 1978.
Lawson is supervisor of the Hill Health Center’s HIV/AIDS division and is a certified health educator.

Eleven local students received scholarship awards at the recent Center for Disability Rights Annual Meeting.

The CDR Annual Scholarship Program, established four years ago, is part of CDR’s Youth Programs and includes Youth Transition Advocacy and Education, according to a prepared statement.






CDR members, friends, and corporate sponsors, who work to make the CDR Annual Wheel-A-Thon a success, make the scholarship program possible, the statement said. CDR’s Fourth Annual Wheel-A-Thon (http://www.wheel-a-thon.org/), will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 6, at the Savin Rock Conference Center in Weat Haven.

It is a CDR fundraising venture to address the need for youth program , for which CDR receives no other funding, the statement said.

“As a membership organization of people with disabilities, CDR is very pleased that we are able to assist eleven promising students make this important transition into adulthood,” CDR Executive Director Marc Anthony Gallucci said in the statement. “We value every community partner and volunteer that has helped us raise the funds to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.”

To be eligible for a CDR Scholarship, successful candidates must submit a person essay, proof of their disability and residency, and be enrolled or accepted at a post-secondary institution.
This year's scholarship winners, shown l to r in the photo, are: Justin J. Kruscek of Deep River; Ashley Glorioso of Old Saybrook; Jeanette Anderson of New Haven; Madalyn Wild of Ansonia; Troy Fischer of New Haven; Lauren Cozensa of West Haven (her brother Anthony received the award on Lauren’s behalf); Benjamin Kaufman of Essex; Jason Connolly of Old Saybrook; Seth Cohen of Hamden; Paige Mino of East Haven; and (not shown) Albert Maldonado of New Haven.


Photo by Christopher Zurcher, Zurcher Communications, cjzurcher@yahoo.com


Wheel-A-Thon 2009 is dedicated to the memory of Rick DelStritto and James Puccino. http://www.wheel-a-thon.org/

BRANFORD — There will be a reception to kick off an exhibit called “Visions Toward Wholeness” from 4 to 6 tonight, Friday, July 31, at the Connecticut Hospice’s “Waterside Gallery” at the 100 Double Beach Road facility.
It is the first exhibition of “healing art” organized by the Visions Toward Wellness Educational Foundation, organizers said. The collection is designed to “visually document the power of art to assist in healing our spirit.” The lives of patients and families, while at the Connecticut Hospice, can be very much enhanced by participation in the Hospice Arts Program, which was the first hospice arts program in the country, organizers said. The program is staffed by a variety of artists, musicians, therapists, teachers and volunteers who offer daily opportunities for expression, creativity, and the relief of stress, boredom, pain or other symptoms, without cost to patients and families. The current exhibit is curated by Dr. Jon Moscartolo who, as an arts volunteer for the Connecticut Hospice Arts Program, runs an art expression program for visiting children and their parents.
Connecticut Hospice, the nation’s first hospice, is celebrating its 35th year.

Got some memories — hazy or otherwise — of America’s historic 1969 concert gathering that you’d like to share? Better yet, got some memorabilia you wouldn’t mind having photographed or being photographed with? We’re collecting stories and looking for people to talk to for a story about the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music & Arts Fair. Please e-mail a brief description of what you’ve got and/or remember by Aug. 4 to woodstock@nhregister.com and we may just use it or have a reporter contact you. Please include your full name, town and phone number.
Peace and Love!

A new store in New Haven

It appeared that a great time was had by all as the new Goodwill store openen on Foxon Boulevard in New Haven this week.

Here's peek at what it looked like.

Read the full story here

DVS, United Way, Birmingham Group Health a wonderful partnership

NEW HAVEN — Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven recently received a $39,000 grant from United Way of Greater New Haven to be used to support critical emergency shelter services for victims of domestic violence and their children.
"We are extremely grateful to the United Way of Greater New Haven for their continued support of our program and our mission to assist victims of domestic violence and their children to break the cycle of domestic violence and rebuild their lives," Sandra Koorejian, director of DVS said in a statement. "The grant funds will help us maintain our shelter program and meet increasing community demands for services."
Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven, a program of Birmingham Group Health Services, Inc., "seeks to create an environment that supports individual safety and breaks the cycle of domestic violence," the statement said. Services include 24 hour hotline, short term counseling and safety planning, emergency shelter, court-based advocacy, support groups and community education programs.
For more information about DVS, call (203) 865-1957, visit www.dvsgnh.org, or call the 24/7 Hotline at (203) 789-8104. For information about Birmingham Group Health Services, Inc., call (203) 736-2601, or visit www.bghealth.org and about United Way at www.uwgnh.org.

Chabad has it going on: rabbi is coordinator of major Jewish Festival that has something for everyone

GUILFORD — The 4th annual Shoreline Jewish Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. August 9 on the Green.
The festival features live Jewish music, kosher food, an art and book sale, children’s crafts and activities, and information booths from local Jewish organizations, organizers said.
"The festival celebrates Jewish life and living," said Rabbi Yossi Yaffe, director of Chabad of the Shoreline and coordinator of the event. "Each year we see hundreds of people of all ages enjoying the music, the food, and the whole atmosphere. The festival is becoming a Shoreline summer tradition."
Headlining the show is the Kabbalah Dream Orchestra from Israel via Philadelphia. The Kabbalah Dream Orchestra fuses traditional Chassidic tunes and ancient Jewish melodies with progressive jazz, funk, and rock themes, organizers said.
Also performing will be the The Mr. Shabbos Show, a rocking mix of Jewish lyrics and country/bluegrass/rockabilly music.
And for klezmer diehards, the festival’s lineup includes two different bands: The Klezmenschen and The Klezmen. A freylekhe (spirited) big band based in New London, The Klezmenschen play lively traditional Yiddish and Israeli folk melodies. Rabbi Yossi Hodakov of Westville will join them on vocals. The Klezmen are a popular band out of West Hartford who bring the Old World sound to life with clarinet, trumpet, keyboard and drums.

Children will enjoy the variety of entertainment: Jewish craft activities, jumping fun, fair food favorites, and two unique performers. For the young-and the young at heart, the Mr. Shabbos Show will lead an interactive sing-along that is sure to have everyone up on their feet and dancing.
Storyteller Levi Welton from San Francisco will perform a one-man show called "Meet King David." The act employs history and humor to introduce kids to the multifaceted King David-political leader, musician, warrior, poet, and spiritual guide. Welton will also do Jewish storytelling under a tree between shows.
The festival is much more than music. A vendor area will feature local and Israeli artists and artisans, selling a variety of Judaica, jewelry, art work and unique Israeli products. Books, videos and games of Jewish interest for children and adults will be available for sale. Festival-goers will be able to choose from a variety of kosher food, including Israeli and traditional fair favorites.
Artists can reserve a booth for the day for $85. Festival sponsors include Boris Mizhen and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. For more information, visit www.jewishoreline.org. To help sponsor this unique event, or to reserve a booth, please contact Janice Dipollina at (203) 453-5580 jdchabad@snet.net, or Yaffe at chabad @snet.net.
Chabad of the Shoreline is dedicated to helping Jews connect to their heritage through study, innovative programs, and communal events. Chabad also reaches out to those in need of spiritual or material assistance.

New Haven teachers take note

FAIRFIELD — It’s time again for that terrific transaction of tomes: the Pequot Library 49th Annual Book Sale, to be held July 24-28 at the library at 720 Pequot Ave., in the Southport section.

There are more than 140,000 books to be offered for sale from a wide array of genres, as well as LPs, 45’s, CDs, DVDs, and tapes, all of which were donated to the library, organizers said.
All proceeds from the library’s biggest fund-raiser of the year go to help the library provide services to the area. The library serves Fairfield, as well as all other towns in Fairfield County and the entire region.
The library also offers book sale vouchers for up to $100 to teachers in the Bridgeport and New Haven school systems to purchase books for classroom or personal libraries with the cost being underwritten through a grant from the Renée B. Fisher Foundation.
As part of the library’s "Green Initiative," there also will be re-useable book bags imprinted with the library’s logo, for sale and the library seeks to eliminate use of plastic bags by next year, organizers said. Patrons who purchase more than $50 worth of books will receive a free bag.
The sale schedule is 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 24, with all items double the marked price; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July 25 and 26, items priced as marked; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 27, items half off marked price; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., $5 a bag day.
For more information on the sale, or to volunteer at the event, email booksale@pequotlibrary.org, call the library at (203) 259-0346, or visit www.pequotlibrary.org.

Boating class offered in West Haven

WEST HAVEN — Flotilla 24-11 of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering a safe boating and personal watercraft course July 20-22.
The course satisfies state boating education requirements. People who successfully complete the course will qualify for the Connecticut Safe Boating Certificate and the Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation, which will allow the person to operate any recreational vessel, including a personal watercraft.
The fee for the course is $65. Classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Coast Guard Auxiliary, 1 Kimberly Ave.
Walk-ins are welcome.
For further information contact Charlie Phippen at (860) 828-5438 or (860) 916-3379, or visit www.a0142411.uscgaux.info.

HAMDEN — When Morris Gamm celebrates his 101st birthday, he will be surrounded by many of his friends, especially those who are part of the Probus Club of Greater New Haven, an organization near and dear to the attorney’s heart.
A party for Gamm, arranged by Probus Club members, will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. July 19 at J. Roos Restaurant, 249 State St. in North Haven. Tickets are $15 per person and it is open to the public. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Probus charity of Gamm’s choice, organizers said.
Gamm, a Harvard Law School graduate who helped found the then Hamden Probus Club in 1950, has been an attorney since 1934.
For more information about the celebration call Roy Lukacas at 248-8656 or Charlie Mendlestein at 376-3648.

Former New York Knicks all-star guard John Starks hit the court again recently but not for a game. Starks was the guest speaker as the New Haven Job Corps Center celebrated its graduating class

As a career technical training center, Job Corps has been educating at-promise youth ages 16-24 for more than 40 years and is America’s leading career skills training program, agency officials said. Administered by the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Job Corps trains 65,000 students each year, the officials said.

New Haven Job Corps Center has an excellent basketball team of its own and that’s one reason Stark’s visit "helped to energize and enlighten students with his candid account of his years prior to pro basketball," the officials said.
Shown in the photo are, l to r: R. Anthony Hill, career preparation instructor; Starks; Tami Schweikert, center director

High school seniors from Greater New Haven recently were recognized as the state’s top scholar-athletes at the 2009 Connecticut Association of Schools Scholar-Athlete Banquet sponsored by McDonald’s.

Students honored are: Maritza Rosmond and Kyle Craven, shown in photo below, Hill Regional Career High School, Ashley McWilliams and Leo James, James Hillhouse High School, Shannon Palmer and Naveed Khoshnood, Wilbur Cross High School, shown in photo at top, all New Haven; Caroline O’Connor, Academy of Our Lady Mercy, Amy Jiravisitcul and Marc Shackett, Jonathan Law High School, Gina Massari and Joseph Tylutki, Joseph A. Foran High School, and Nancy Roman an Nick Cowell, Platt Technical High School, all in Milford; Taylor Norton and Chris Norton, West Haven High School; Megan Jones and Ronald Bilodeau Jr., Ansonia High School; Rebecca Schneider and Luis Davila, Emmett O’Brien Technical School, also Ansonia.

Also, Kelley Moller and John Merrimen,Woodland Regional High School, Beacon Falls; Victoria Redding and Scott Berges, Branford High School; Irene Kalbian and Varun Roy, Cheshire High School; Stephanie Gavilanes and Timothy Geer, Derby High School; Taylor Doughty and Steven Kapinos, East Haven High School; Katherine Crabtree and John Landock, Guilford High School; Stefanie Schaefer and Matt Spilka, Hamden High School; Jacqueline Galloway and Luis Cortes, Eli Whitney Technical High School, Victoria Pagan and Ash’Shaun Boston, Hyde Leadership School, and Taylor McGuinness, Sacred Heart Academy, all Hamden; Shannon Noonan and Mike Callaghan, Daniel Hand High School, Madison; Franshelyz Agosto and Rinaldo Izzo, H.C. Wilcox RVT School, Meriden; Melissa Ascher and Alexander Mastriano, Maloney High School, and Chelsea Garlock and Matt Raham, O.H. Platt High School, Meriden; Nicole Bouchard and Robert Mercier, North Branford High School; Minyound Song and Geoffrey Brown, North Haven High School; Colleen Garman and Joseph Kassay, Seymour High School, Leah Haxhi and Will Flynn, Pomperaug High School, Southbury; Sara Woznicki and William Abildgaard Jr., Lyman Hall High School and Emily Doll and Alexander Thompson, Sheehan High School, both Wallingford; and Teri Alessio and Thomas McKenna, Crosby High School, Ashley Steinfield and Ian Mangione, Holy Cross High School, Brooke Devito and Noel Cruz, J.F. Kennedy High School, Sarah Martin and Ryan Curtin, Sacred Heart High School; Ashley Allmond and Kevin Kelly, Wilby High School, and Ana DeAguiar and Matthew Luis, W.F. Kaynor Technical High School, all in Waterbury; Avery Silverstein and Adam Trofa, Amity Regional High School, Woodbridge; Alana Wesche and Greg Rice, Naugatuck High School; Cherie Boucher and Brian Stankus, Wolcott High School; and Koreen Shoham and Harry Mullin, William Hall High School, West Hartford.

“McDonald’s is proud to partner with CAS to honor the best and brightest high school scholar-athletes from all across Connecticut. We applaud the state’s top students for both their academic and athletic achievement,” Jim McGarry, McDonald's owner/operator and president of the Connecticut and Western Massachusetts McDonald's Owner/Operator Association said in a statement. “McDonald’s wishes each and every CAS Scholar Athlete all the best for continued success in the future.”
The Connecticut High School Scholar-Athlete 2009 Awards Banquet is the largest program of its type in the state, the statement said. Only one male and one female student are eligible for the award through a nomination from their principal for: demonstrating exemplary academic and athletic careers including participating in an interscholastic athletics; possessing personal standards and achievements that are a model to others; exhibiting outstanding school; and community service and carrying themselves with high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage, the statement said.

NEW HAVEN — The General David Humphreys Branch Number One, Connecticut Society, Sons of the American Revolution will be assembled with the 2nd Company Governor’s Foot Guard, the 6th Connecticut Regiment, Company of Light Infantry, and Boys Scout Troop 5 from Wallingford, to pay tribute to the signers of the Declaration of Independence during the 58th Annual Ceremonies at 9 a.m. today at the Grove Street Cemetery.

Activities will include flag raising, an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem, roll call of the 30 original members of the 1775 Colony of Connecticut, 2nd Company Governor’s Foot Guard who are buried in this cemetery, a Musket Volley by the 6th Connecticut Regiment, Company of Light Infantry, Taps, roll call of the signers of the Declaration of Independence including Roger Sherman who represented Connecticut, and the 2nd Company’s Music Unit will play selections from the Revolutionary War period, including Connecticut’s State Song, "Yankee Doodle."

NEW HAVEN — The Group with No Name, otherwise known as TGWNN, (go ahead and try to pronounce it) has announced that the starting line location and time for New Haven’s fifth anniversary city-wide scavenger hunt, "Cluefest 7" is at 2 p.m. July 18 at Bru, 141 Orange St.

From there teams will race across New Haven in cars, on bikes and on foot answering clues to find the Secret Cluefest Party, organizers said in a statement. The Cluefest Spirit Cup will be awarded to the team that shows the most local spirit. Cluefest 7 is expected to draw 300 scavengers, organizers said.
Cluefes, run by TGWNN, a group of city residents who volunteer their time because they love New Haven, aims to promote the city, particularly for people in their 20s and 30s, build community, encourage civic engagement, and increase the number of people who know about cultural and social opportunities here, the statement said.
For more information on Cluefest visit www.cluefest.com. Cluefest acknowledges generous support of its major sponsors: Seabury Hill, Yale University, Bank of America, United Way, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, and Higher One.

Photo shows start of the race last year.

Recipients of scholarships in the Tenth Annual Alvis Dimyus Brooker Scholarship Fundraiser are shown with Sallie R. Brooker (center), mother of Alvis D. Brooker at Yale University’s Luce Hall Sunday in New Haven.

Left to right (front row) are Rosa Maria Lopez, Tanay Moore, Rosaly Rosario, Sallie R. Brooker, Ana Marie Trimble and Brittni Anderson. In the back row (left to right) are Orisel Castaneda, Monique Haynes, Imani Johnson and Leon Davis. Not shown are Stephanie Encarnacion, Chelsea Bennett, Leo James.

The Black and Hispanic Caucus of the Board of Aldermen honored winners of the 2009 scholarships Sunday. This year’s winners represent five city high schools and will be going to some of the most select colleges throughout the United States, the caucus said in a statement. Winners had to have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, participated in community service and been accepted to a two- or four-year college or university, the statement said. Winners, named above are: Anderson and Encarnacion, of High School in the Community; Johnson-Bell, Bennett, Castaneda, Chavez Davis, James, Lopez and Trimble, of Hillhouse High School; Haynes of Hill Regional Career High School; Moore of Hyde Leadership, and Rosario of Sound School.

Photo by Arnold Gold

Yale-New Haven Hospital recently honored the seven winners of its minority scholarship awards.

The recipients, who live in greater New Haven and are enrolled in a full-time course of study towards a degree in nursing or the allied health field, will receive $2,000 per year award, for a total of $8,000 during their college career.

In 19 years, the hospital has awarded almost $350,000 in scholarships to minority students. To qualify, students must be a member of a minority group as defined by the federal government and enrolled in a full-time course of study towards a degree in nursing or an allied health field, which can include pharmacy, respiratory therapy or X-ray technology.

In the photo, front row (l-r) are: Eva Bryant, Hamden, who will major in nursing at Western Connecticut State University; Jenel Douglas, Ansonia, who will major in nursing at the University of Connecticut; Amanda Gonzalez, Derby, who plans to study nuclear medicine at Eastern Connecticut State University; Hemmy Gonzalez and Ebonie Tillery, both of New Haven, who both will major in nursing at Southern Connecticut State University; Elizabeth Heng, East Haven, who will study nursing at Western Connecticut State University. In back row (also l-r) are: Richard D’Aquila, executive vice president and COO, YNHH; Michael White, New Haven, who will study physical therapy at Western Connecticut State University; Reginald Mayo, PhD, superintendent, New Haven Public Schools; and Paul Patton, vice president of human resources, YNHH.

The Hopkins School recently sent 130 seniors into the world, as its 349th graduating class, in a ceremony on the school’s New Haven campus. Sebastian Kann, shown, delivered the Valedictory Address.

Kann, a Westport native and 2009 Cum Laude Society honoree, was voted valedictorian by his classmates. Kann has been accepted to Columbia University of New York, but will defer his acceptance to attend the National Circus School in Montreal, Canada this fall. This year’s commencement marked the beginning of Hopkins School’s 350th Anniversary, which will be celebrated throughout the 2009-2010 school year.

Photo by Peter Mahakian

BRANFORD — The Connecticut Hospice begins its fall volunteer training in September. The course will inform and prepare prospective volunteers in all aspects of hospice care.
For more details, call Patricia A. Corradino, director of volunteer services, at 315-7510 or e-mail to pnowak@hospice.com.

NEW HAVEN — Yale-New Haven Hospital is offering a new online childbirth education class for parents who are not able to attend conventional childbirth classes due to bed rest, scheduling conflicts or time constraints.
The online class is an interactive, web-based program that includes animated illustrations and videos. It can be viewed on a PC or Mac. High speed internet is advised, but dial-up will work although it will take longer to download. The program also includes one scheduled face-to-face class with an educator.
For more information about fees, call "WELL/ A Mother’s Place" at 688.9355.

EAST HARTFORD — The Connecticut Society of Genealogists will hold an introduction to genealogy Wednesdays in July from 6 to 8 p.m. beginning July 8 in the library, 175 Maple St.
Sessions include sources in your possession; vital, Bible, church and cemetery records; probate, land, census, immigration and naturalization records; directories, newspapers, military records, Internet resources, and software.
Cost is $15 per session or $50 for all sessions.
To register, visit www.csginc.org or call (860) 569-0002.

Program for kids in pre-k through twelfth grade

Spaces are still available for Schooner Inc.’s week-long summer camps for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The science enrichment and sailing camps are the "perfect opportunity to get children outdoors and explore Long Island Sound’s wild places, while having fun and making new friends," Schooner officials said.
Campers in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade enjoy shore-based science enrichment and those in fourth grade and up are trained in small boat sailing, among other activities.
Schooner Inc’s summer camp is state-licensed and all camp staff are CPR and First Aid certified
For more information about Schooner Inc. camp offerings or to register online, visit www.schoonerinc.org or contact the Schooner Inc office at (203) 865-1737.
Schooner Inc is a non-profit marine education organization based in New Haven. Since 1975, Schooner Inc has been dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and personal growth through experiences in marine science, sailing, and the history of Long Island Sound and its watershed, the group’s statement said. Each year more than 13,000 people participate in Schooner Inc. programs in the classroom, on the shore and on board Quinnipiack, Schooner Inc’s 91-foot schooner. During the school year, Schooner Inc. provides programs that meet curriculum needs and, during the summer, Schooner Inc. offers a licensed day camp. For more information, call the office at (203) 865 1737 or visit www.schoonerinc.org.

WEST HAVEN — The Department of Recreation is registering city boys ages 15-18 for its summer basketball program at the Nike Site Park courts on Bull Hill Lane.
Games are played at 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays from July 6-Aug. 8.
The fee is $15, which includes a T-shirt.
Participants, accompanied by a parent or guardian, must register at the department’s Painter Park office, 190 Kelsey Ave., by June 29. For details, call 937-3651.

NEW HAVEN — The Black and Hispanic Caucus of the Board of Aldermen will honor winners of the 2009 Alvis D. Brooker Scholarships at the 10th annual Alvis Brooker Scholarship Award Reception at 3 p.m. Sunday at Luce Hall at Yale University, 37 Hillhouse Ave.This year’s winners represent five city high schools and will be going to some of the most select colleges throughout the United States, the caucus said in a statement. Winners had to have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, participated in community service and been accepted to a two- or four-year college or university, the statement said.Winners are: Brittni Anderson and Stephanie Encarnacion, of High School in the Community; Imani Johnson-Bell, Chelsea Bennett, Orisel Castaneda, Leon Chavez Davis, Leo James, Rosa Maria Lopez Rodriguez and Ana Marie Trimble, of Hillhouse High School; Monique Haynes of Hill Regional Career High School; Tanay Moore of Hyde Leadership, and Rosaly Rosario of Sound School.Tickets for the reception can be purchased at the door for $25. All proceeds go to providing future scholarships.

NEW HAVEN — The city New Haven Office of Economic Development has launched a new Web site.
The intent of the site is "to assist in communication between the city, residents, business leaders, and those interested in relocating to New Haven," officials said in a statement.
"Despite a slumping national economy, New Haven continues moving forward with development projects and assisting businesses to grow or move to our city," Kelly Murphy, director of economic development said in a statement. "It’s great that we now have a user-friendly tool to share this information with our residents, the business community and people who are interested in finding our what and who we are as a city and why they should think about locating in New Haven."
The site is intended to provide information on key development projects as well as other useful resources for business, including links, the statement said.
The Office of Economic Development welcomes any suggestions, and encourages visitors to fill out an online feedback form, the statement said, at http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/EconomicDevelopment/Contact/ or to contact the department at 946-2366.
This new site is accessed through www.cityofnewhaven.com, by either clicking on the Business button, then the Economic Development button or by clicking on the Government button, then the City Departments button, then Economic Development. The direct link is: http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/EconomicDevelopment/index.asp.

The state Department of Labor's Career Express Bus will be at the Woodbridge Town Library from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 29.

Career Express is a 38-foot bus equipped with eight high-tech computer workstations and SMART Board that travels to towns throughout the state helping job seekers with employment searches, library officials said.

Career Express staff will offer job search and individual job skills development services on a first-come, first-served basis.

Job seekers will be able to conduct online job searches and learn about other job search resources and Web sites.

Bring your resume and have it reviewed and critiqued by staff who are Professional Certified Resume Writers. Career Express staff will answer questions about job interviews and interviewing as well as providing additional information on the state Department of Labor/CTWorks career centers and services, library officials said.

For more information, please call the library Information Desk at 389-3434.

Local Talent Brings Doris Day film to New Haven June 24

Producer and writer Pierre Patrick, who also is a member of the cast of "What a Difference a Day Makes: Doris Day Superstar," a documentary that screened on European TV this spring. The film will receive its U.S. premiere at 5:30 p.m. June 24 at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St. Patrick will be on hand to discuss the film. Free parking is available. Register for the event at http://www.dorisdayfilm.eventbrite.com/.

Patrick is also co-author of two books on Doris Day, including the newly released "The Doris Day Companion." Patrick has known the 50’s Hollywood Icon for years, and some of the interviews for the book took place at her home in Carmel, Calif., library officials said. His book, which provides background material on her songs, movies and TV shows, will be available for sale and signing at the film premiere at the library, and at Atticus Bookstore Cafe on June 25.

The library also will offer a free screening of Pajama Game (1957), starring Day and John Raitt, at 2 p.m. June 26 at 2pm. For more information, call (203) 946-8835.

The photo shows Doris Day and Pierre Patrick

ORANGE — The Police Department recently held a Citizens Police Academy that ran for eight weeks, with a 2.5-hour session each week.
Attendees, shown, with some department officials, learned about administration, records, the Patrol Division, accident investigation, DUI enforcement, medical emergencies, firearms, the Investigative Services Unit, crime prevention, youth officer and the DARE Program, community policing, special deployments and the court system, officials said.
Attendees also participated in a ride-along with a patrol officer. Officer John Aquino managed the program from week to week, with several officers participating as instructors.
Police Chief Robert Gagne said the department has been running the Citizens Academy for many years and receives very positive feedback after each session.
"It is a great way for our community members to experience firsthand what services we offer and how we police the community," he said. "It also gives us valuable interaction with and feedback from our community members."

Don't miss this chance to meet with a popular local writer

NEW HAVEN - Author Karen Olson will discuss her new book, "The Missing Ink: a Tattoo Shop Mystery," from 6 to 7 p.m. July 8 at the New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven.

As is says at http://www.kareneolson.com/

ABOUT "THE MISSING INK"
Brett Kavanaugh is a tattoo artist and owner of The Painted Lady, catering to high-profile clients in Las Vegas. But in her free time, she does a little investigating too - because murder really gets under her skin. . . .
When a girl makes an appointment to get devotion ink with the name of her fiancé embedded in a heart, Brett takes the job, but the girl never shows. The next thing Brett knows, the police are looking for her mysterious client and the name she wanted on the tattoo isn't the name of her fiancé.
An alliance with an unlikely partner leads Brett to a dead body, a suave Englishman, and an Elvis karaoke bar. And who is the tattooed stranger stalking her? Brett draws lines between the clues, unwittingly putting herself in danger. But she intends to see justice done, since death, like a tattoo, is permanent. . .

Olson also is the author of the Annie Seymour mystery series, which are set in New Haven and feature a take names, hot shot reporter who finds deadly stories in the Elm City while also keeping her own spicy love life alive. Read Olson's blog at http://firstoffenders.typepad.com/

Start and end of month commemorate tragic deaths of two city teens

NEW HAVEN — CTRIBAT Institute For Social Development, Inc. will kick off the 1st Annual Gun Violence Awareness Month by holding a memorial service to commemorate victims and survivors of gun violence beginning at 11 a.m. at 230 Ashmun St., state Rep. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, said.
The launch of the month coincides with the anniversary date of the tragic shooting death of resident Jajuana Cole, 13, Winfielld said. Gun Violence Awareness Month is an intense National Public Health Emergency Campaign aimed at educating the public on the negative impact urban gun violence makes on the physical, mental and educational development and health of children and teens. It runs through July 25, the anniversary date of the tragic shooting death of Justus Suggs, also 13. A large number of community agencies, organizations and professional service agencies will participate, Winfield said.

New Haven Superintendent of School Reginald Mayo and Connecticut Child Advocate Jeanne Milstein spoke to the Jewish Coalition for Literacy volunteer reading partners June 11.

The volunteers read weekly in New Haven Public Schools to help children experience to joy of reading and improving their English language skills, coalition officials said.

Pictured, l to r, are Brenda Brenner, JCL coordinator, Pat DeMaio, executive director of the New Haven School Foundation, Mayo and Milstein.

Mayo and Milstein relayed the importance of reading with the children and helping them increase their vocabulary. They praised the volunteers for consistency and being dependable.

Anyone interested in volunteering to read with the children should contact bbrenner@jewishnewhaven.org or (203) 387-2424, ex. 308.

NEW HAVEN — Free, nutritious meals will be provided to residents ages 12 to 15 years from July 6 through Aug. 27 at East Rock Elks Lodge, 87 Webster St.
The meals will be available from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The service is paid for by federal funds.
For more information, contact Kate Walton, programs director, at Connecticut Food Bank, P.O. Box 8686, New Haven, or call 469-5000.

Then this is your place to be - this is the full schedule!

ARTS & IDEAS CALENDAR

Tickets for all events with admission prices can be purchased at the Shubert Theater Box Office (located at 247 College Street, New Haven) and by phone at (203) 562-5666 or (888) 736-2663. For a complete listing of events and to order tickets online, visit www.artidea.org.
SATURDAY
9 a.m., Bike Tour: West Rock Mountain Biking Explore the off-road trails of West Rock State Park and visit the historic Judges’ Cave in this 15-20-mile ride for experienced riders; helmets, water and an appropriate mountain bicycle required, meet at corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
10 a.m and 2 p.m., 3rd annual Children’s Film Festival Two 90-minute screenings of award-winning independent short films for young audiences (ages 3-10), Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., free.
1 p.m. Film: "War Child" Hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier in Sudan’s brutal civil war, fights to bring peace to his beloved country; question-and-answer session with filmmaker Christian Karim Chrobog follows, Whitney Humanities Center Auditorium, 53 Wall St., free.
1:30 p.m., Foodie Tour: Flavors from Iberia to Latin America Ibiza, Soul de Cuba, Geronimo, meet at Ibiza, 39 High St., reservations required: (203) 562-5666 or artidea.org, $40.
2 p.m., Walking Tour: Sprague Hall Tour includes Morse Recital Hall, considered one of the nation’s finest concert halls, reservations required: (203) 432-2300, meet at Yale Visitor Center, 149 Elm St., free.
2 p.m., Bike Tour: Public Sculpture See works by Roy Lichtenstein, Maya Lin, Alexander Calder and others (for all riders), meet at corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
3 p.m., "Circus" Play inspired by Fellini film "La Strada," is the story of small-time three-person circus, with juggling, tumbling, knife-throwing, trapeze, love and jealousy (no late seating; suitable for all ages), University Theatre, 222 York St., $25.
3 p.m., Ideas: Favorite Poem Project – Community Reading with Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky Culmination of the project features readings by Connecticut citizens, Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., Free
3:15 p.m., Film Series: "New Year Baby" Director/producer Socheata Poeuv journeys to Cambodia with her family and uncovers their painful history of great heroism in surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide; produced and written by Charles Vogl, Whitney Humanities Center Auditorium, 53 Wall St., free.
5 p.m., When Filmmakers Work with Refugees: Goals, Achievements, Dangers, Disappointments A discussion with the film series filmmakers Christian Karim Chrobog, Socheata Poeuv, Zach Niles and Charles Vogl, Whitney Humanities Center Auditorium, 53 Wall St., free.
8 p.m., "Circus" (see 5 p.m.), University Theatre, 222 York St., $25.
7 p.m., Opening Night on the Green: Global Dance Party American Southern Creole accordionist Buckwheat Zydeco and the nine musicians of New York’s Slavic Soul Party!, New Haven Green, free.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
9 a.m., Bike Tour: Stony Creek Visit a historic seaside village with views of the beautiful Thimble Islands (intermediate riders, 35 miles), meet at corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
1 p.m., Film: "Between Earth & Sky" Film follows Iraqi refugees living in Jordan in exploring the human side of war that’s produced the world’s fastest growing population of refugees and internally displaced people, Whitney Humanities Center Auditorium, 53 Wall St., free.
2 p.m., Walking Tour: Yale Sustainable Food Project: The Yale Farm Learn about the Yale Farm and its many varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers, as well as the basics of organic agriculture in an urban setting, meet at Yale Farm, Edwards Street between Prospect and Whitney, free.
2 p.m., Bike Tour: Community Gardens and Preserves Ride to various public gardens and preserves throughout New Haven, visiting New Haven Land Trust land, nature preserves at Quinnipiac Meadows, Long Wharf and Morris Creek (all riders, 16 miles), meet at the corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
2:30 p.m., Film Discussion: "The Art of Survival: Refugees from the Iraq War" Panelists include filmmaker Kalyanee Mam, Chris George, executive director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services and Iraqi refugees now living in New Haven, Whitney Humanities Center Auditorium, 53 Wall St., free.
3 p.m., "Circus" Play inspired by Fellini film "La Strada," is the story of small-time three-person circus, with juggling, tumbling, knife-throwing, trapeze, love and jealousy (no late seating; suitable for all ages), University Theatre, 222 York St., $25. Artist discussion follows for performance ticketholders.
3 p.m. Ideas Program: "Playing in the Dark: Videogame Luminaries Discuss the State of their Art Video game columnist and design consultant N’gai Croal leads panel on where this medium is headed. Panelists include thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago (flOw, Flower) and Universal Games’ head of game production Peter Wanat ("Scarface: The World is Yours," "The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay"), Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., free.
4 p.m., Film: "Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars" The story of a group of six Sierra Leonean musicians who formed a band while living as refugees in the Republic of Guinea; co-directed and co-produced by Zach Niles and Banker White, a brief question and answer session with filmmakers follows,Whitney Humanities Center Auditorium, 53 Wall St., free.
6 p.m. – They Might Be Giants Family Concert Grammy-winning band from Brooklyn brings its unconventional style to children’s songs and TV themes, New Haven Green, free.
MONDAY, JUNE 15
6 p.m., Invited Sharing Class Community dancers are invited to join Reggie and Andréya to explore traditional and contemporary dance forms, Broadway Rehearsal Lofts, 294 Elm St. (above Trailblazers), free, but reservations required: (203) 498-3723 or e-mail amatthews@artidea.org.
TUESDAY, JUNE 16
Noon, Baila Peru & Generacion Latina Virgen del Cisne Vibrant music and dance of Peru and Ecuador by two groups from St. Rose of Lima Church, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:15 p.m., Manguito "Pocket salsa orchestra," part of Noon to Night, Family Stage, New Haven Green, free.
3 p.m., Walking Tour: Yale University Campus Experience the architectural wonders of the Yale campus, meet at the Yale Visitor Center, 149 Elm St., free.
5 p.m., Foodie Tour: The Art of the Cocktail: From Classic to Contemporary A master class and tasting taught by master mixer John Ginnetti of 116 Crown (ages 21+ only), 116 Crown St., $20, reservations required: (203) 562-5666, www.artidea.org.
5:30 p.m., Ideas Program: Kenji Yoshino: The Hidden Assault on our Civil Rights Kenji Yoshino, the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University Law School, talks about his book "Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights" in recognition of Connecticut’s legalization of same-sex marriage, Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., free.
6 p.m., Dig Deeper: Community Shout Community Shouts are rejuvenating sing-a-longs; learn about the origins and functions of song, through tales and songs from Africa and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and the American South, Broadway Rehearsal Lofts, 294 Elm St. (above Trailblazer), free.
6:30 p.m., Mango Blue Bassist and singer Alex Alvear, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
8 p.m., "Circus" Play inspired by Fellini film "La Strada," is the story of small-time three-person circus, with juggling, tumbling, knife-throwing, trapeze, love and jealousy (no late seating; suitable for all ages), University Theatre, 222 York St., $25.
8 p.m. Courtyard Concert : Miguel Zenon San Juan’s alto saxophonist and composer, Yale Law School Courtyard, 127 Wall St., $30.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17
10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. – Dance Master Class Dance Master Class taught by Andréya Ouamba (Compagnie 1er Temps) explores how the abstract form takes up a lot of space in the work, appropriate for intermediate/advanced dancers, free.
Noon, Caravan of Thieves Husband and wife Fuzz and Carrie and their acoustic quartet play Beatlesque harmonies, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
12:30 p.m., Walking Tour: Hillhouse Avenue Historic District See why Charles Dickens called the avenue the "Most Beautiful Street in America" (ages 15 and up), meet at corner of Hillhouse Avenue and Sachem Street, free.
1-2:30 p.m., Walking Tour: Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity Rudd Center Director Kelly Brownell, a world authority on food policy and obesity issues, leads a discussion on obesity, world hunger, and the role modern food practices play in environmental issues, meet at Rudd Center, 309 Edwards St., free, but reservations required: (203) 432-2300.
1:15 p.m., Arti Dixson Quartet Family Stage, New Haven Green, free.
3 p.m., "Circus" Play inspired by Fellini film "La Strada," is the story of small-time three-person circus, with juggling, tumbling, knife-throwing, trapeze, love and jealousy (no late seating; suitable for all ages), University Theatre, 222 York St., $25.
5 p.m., Foodie Tour: Farm to Table Zinc, Claire’s and Basta, meet at Zinc, 946 Chapel St., $40, reservations required: (203) 562-5666, www.artidea.org.
5:30 p.m., Idea Program: Food: Pleasure, Policy and Public Health Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Canadian Chantal-Line Carpentier, United Nations Sustainable Development Officer and Josh Viertel, president of Slow Food USA, discuss the joys of food and the interplay of related economic, political, environmental and public health issues, Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., free.
5:30 p.m., Bike Tour: Eye on New Haven – A Photographic Tour Join an experienced local photographer to shoot some of New Haven’s most picturesque places (all riders, 10 miles), opportunities to take photographs at several stops during the tour, meet at the corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
6:30pm – Cobalt Rhythm Kings Raging blues band steeped in hard-edged Chicago-style blues and jazzy jump blues, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
7:30 p.m., World Cafe Share your reflections at the World Café, a space for conversation, food and refreshments, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drink discounts (cash bar); visit www.theworldcafe.com to learn more, The Study at Yale, 1157 Chapel St., free.
8 p.m., "Circus" See 3 p.m. above.
8 p.m.,"First Love" Regarded as the greatest living Samuel Beckett interpreter, Conor Lovett’s one-man performance of the early novella has mesmerized audiences around the world, Long Wharf Theatre, Stage II, 222 Sargent Drive, $30.
8 p.m., Courtyard Concert: Tania Libertad Her passion for music from the diverse Afro-Peruvian tradition of salsa, nueva cancion, Brazilian music and her trademark boleros makes for a stunning show, Yale Law School Courtyard, 127 Wall St., $30.
THURSDAY, JUNE 18
Noon, Mactalla Mor Gaelic for "Great Echo", this hard-driving Celtic roots band’s bagpipes, bodhran, organ, flute and singing will get the whole family dancing, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:15 p.m., Surcari Young Audiences of Connecticut wind, string and percussion trio, Family Stage, New Haven Green, free.
2 p.m., Walking Tour: The Heritage of Newhallville Visit historic Winchester Repeating Arms Factory, Science Park and the turn-of-the-century homes that surround them, meet at the Munson Street Triangle (Munson and Winchester Streets), free.
5:30 p.m., Ideas Program: Alex Ross: Listening to the Twentieth Century New Yorker music critic and 2008 MacArthur Fellow Alex Ross will play dozens of musical examples, tracing the hidden links between seemingly disparate worlds from Bach to Björk, as noted in his recent bestselling book "The Rest Is Noise," Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., free.
5:45 p.m., Walking Tour: Downtown Art Studios Join Artspace and explore artists’ studios and art spots in downtown New Haven; meet the artists and see their work, meet at Artspace, 50 Orange St., free.
6:30 p.m., Connecticut Ballroom Theatre: Deja Vu Ballroom The 14-member troupe’s premiere of Déjà Vu Ballroom will showcase the evolution of dance, from Rudolph Valentino’s tango and the Lindy Hop of the 1930’s though the big-band era and disco fever, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
8 p.m.,"First Love" Regarded as the greatest living Samuel Beckett interpreter, Conor Lovett’s one-man performance of the early novella has mesmerized audiences around the world, Long Wharf Theatre, Stage II, 222 Sargent Drive, $30.
8 p.m., Courtyard Concert: Rupa & the April Fishes The band’s accessible and multicultural sound has earned them a reputation as one of the most exciting groups in the Bay Area music scene, Yale Law School Courtyard, 127 Wall St., $30.
FRIDAY, JUNE 19
Noon, Walking Tour: Galleries in the Audubon Arts District The Creative Arts Workshop Faculty Exhibit, the Arts Council and a watercolor exhibit at John Slade Ely House, meet at corner of Whitney Avenue and Audubon Street, free.
Noon, Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem Fiddler Rani Arbo’s expressive alto blends seamlessly in four-part vocal harmony on her group’s country blues, vintage swing and Appalachian tunes, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:15 p.m., Scott Kessel: Recycled Rhythms Make a wooden "harmonica" and a found-object drum set with percussionist Scott Kessel from Daisy Mayhem in this hands-on workshop, Family Stage, New Haven Green, free.
3 p.m., Dig Deeper: Open Rehearsal for The Good Dance – dakar/brooklyn Observe Reggie Wilson, Andréya Ouamba and their companies as they build their piece, Broadway Rehearsal Lofts, 294 Elm St. (above Trailblazer), free.
5:30 p.m., Walking Tour: Creating Tradition: The Architecture of James Gamble Rogers at Yale See the Gothic Revival image of the University, buildings may include Branford College, Harkness Memorial Tower, Sterling Memorial Library, Sterling Law School and the Hall of Graduate Studies, meet in front of Harkness Memorial Tower, High Street, free.
5:30 p.m., Ideas Program: Artists, Diplomats and other Actors on the Global Stage Eugene Downes, chief executive of Culture Ireland, Ben Cameron, program director for the arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and Frank Hodsoll, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, now chairman of the board of the Center for Arts and Culture discuss the role of government in advancing cultural heritage and global understanding, Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., free.
6:30 p.m., Goldrush Acoustic country and bluegrass band featuring vocalist Mary Beth Sippin, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
8 p.m., "Circus" Play inspired by Fellini film "La Strada," is the story of small-time three-person circus, with juggling, tumbling, knife-throwing, trapeze, love and jealousy (no late seating; suitable for all ages), University Theatre, 222 York St., $25.
8 p.m.,"First Love" Regarded as the greatest living Samuel Beckett interpreter, Conor Lovett’s one-man performance of the early novella has mesmerized audiences around the world, Long Wharf Theatre, Stage II, 222 Sargent Drive, $30.
8 p.m., "Really Real" A dance and music performance created by choreographer Wally Cardona and composer Phil Kline, New Theater, 1156 Chapel St., $25.
SATURDAY, JUNE 20
9 a.m., Bike Tour: Sleeping Giant and Farmington Canal Greenway A 25-mile loop with a climb to an apple orchard, and a flatter, shorter, 18-mile round trip that returns on the Farmington Canal Greenway (intermediates, 2 distances: 18 or 25 miles), meet at the corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
11a.m., Walking Tour: Churches and Change on the Green’s East Rim Explore three historic churches and the works of art contained in them on the New Haven Green, meet at front steps of First & Summerfield United Methodist Church, corner of Elm and College streets, free.
1 p.m., Ideas Program: A Conversation with Frank McCourt and Rose Styron The author of Pulitzer Prize winner "Angela’s Ashes" is joined by poet and human rights activist Rose Styron, Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., free.
1 p.m., Villages of Villages This engaging weekend features dancers, musicians, choral groups, puppeteers, acrobats and creative people of all kinds from community-based groups around the state, New Haven Green, free.
1:30 p.m., Foodie Tour: Taste Fair Haven Fair Haven’s historic Grand Avenue: authentic tacos, Puerto Rican alcapurrias, brick oven pizza, Italian pastries and more, meet at the parking lot located at Grand Avenue and Poplar Street, $20, reservations required: (203) 562-5666, www.artidea.org.
2 p.m., Bike Tour: Globalization and New Haven A bike-bound exploration and discussion into how global cultural and economic forces have shaped New Haven’s diverse tapestry of neighborhoods, workplaces and civic spaces (all riders, 12 miles), meet at the corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
3 p.m., "Circus" Play inspired by Fellini film "La Strada," is the story of small-time three-person circus, with juggling, tumbling, knife-throwing, trapeze, love and jealousy (no late seating; suitable for all ages), University Theatre, 222 York St., $25.
3 p.m., Ideas Program: A Conversation with Mavis Staples & Elizabeth Alexander Gospel singer/activist Staples will be joined by poet Elizabeth Alexander, chair of African American Studies at Yale, who recited her poem "Praise Song for the Day" at the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., free.
8 p.m., "Circus" See 3 p.m. above.
8 p.m., "First Love" Regarded as the greatest living Samuel Beckett interpreter, Conor Lovett’s one-man performance of the early novella has mesmerized audiences around the world, Long Wharf Theatre, Stage II, 222 Sargent Drive, $30.
8 p.m., Mavis Staples One of the most recognizable and treasured voices in gospel and soul and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, New Haven Green, free.
8 p.m.,"Really Real" A dance and music performance created by choreographer Wally Cardona and composer Phil Kline, New Theater, 1156 Chapel St., $25.
SUNDAY, JUNE 21
9 a.m., Bike Tour: Bethany Farms Scenic countryside just outside of New Haven (intermediate riders, 25 miles), meet at the corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
11 a.m., Dig Deeper: African Diaspora Immersion Tour the African Art Collection with Frederick Lamp, the Frances and Benjamin Benenson Foundation Curator of African Art, with more than 1,000 objects in wood, metal, ivory, ceramic and other materials, Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., free, reservations required: (203) 498-3723 or email amatthews@artidea.org.
Noon, Dig Deeper: An African Immersion A 90-minute movement workshop on contemporary dance technique that draws upon the material of "The Good Dance - dakar/brooklyn" with choreographers Reggie Wilson and Andréya Ouamba, Yale University Art Gallery, Sculpture Garden, 1111 Chapel St., free, reservations required: call (203) 498-3723 or email amatthews@artidea.org.
1 p.m., Village of Villages Celebrate world cultures and American heritage with dancers, musicians, choral groups, puppeteers and creative people of all kinds from community-based groups from across the state, New Haven Green, free.
2 p.m., Walking Tour: Westville: Vaudeville, Bar Brawls and Grindstones Westville’s rich cast of characters from the past and present, in the peculiar stories of its history, as told by Colin M. Caplan, author of "Westville: Tales from a Connecticut Hamlet," meet at Lyric Hall Antiques, 827 Whalley Ave., free.
2 p.m., Bike Tour: Poetry on Wheels Ride to some of the most scenic spots in New Haven to hear local poets and perhaps surprise celebrity writers read from their work and that of their favorites (all riders, 10 miles), meet at the corner of College and Chapel Streets, free.
3 p.m., "Really Real" A dance and music performance created by choreographer Wally Cardona and composer Phil Kline, New Theater, 1156 Chapel St., $25, artist discussion follows for performance ticketholders.
3 p.m., Ideas Program: Robert Farris Thompson: Afro-Atlantic Art, Dance and Music Robert Farris Thompson, the Col. John Trumbull Professor of History of Art at Yale, brings to life aesthetic, social and artistic traditions as they migrate to America, Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., free.
4 p.m., Celebration of Connecticut Bands Local Heroes – from emerging bands like sayWHAT? to New Haven blues band, Don’t Tell Muddy, and the underground band, Mighty Purple, plus the winners of the Connecticut Association of Schools "Band Jam," Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
5 p.m., Sejong New York-based conductor-less string orchestra performs with pianist Robert Blocker, the Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music at Yale School of Music, Sprague Memorial Hall, 470 College St., $15.
7 p.m., "First Love" Regarded as the greatest living Samuel Beckett interpreter, Conor Lovett’s one-man performance of the early novella has mesmerized audiences around the world, Long Wharf Theatre, Stage II, 222 Sargent Drive, $30, artist discussion follows for performance ticketholders.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
10 a.m., Dance Master Class A contemporary movement class that utilizes source materials, elements and movement languages from cultures of the Southern U.S., the Caribbean and Southern, Western and Central Africa, taught by Reggie Wilson (Fist & Heel Performance Group), DanceSpace, 70 Audubon St., lower level, appropriate for intermediate/advanced dancers, free.
Noon, Cosmic Jibaros Cross-cultural group’s highly danceable songs are sung primarily in Spanish with charismatic lead singer Ricardo Reyes, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:15 p.m., Les Julian Award-winning songs delight and transport both kids and adults and celebrate the diversity of the world in a variety of engaging musical styles, Family Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:30 p.m., Walking Tour: The Utopian Impulse Exhibit and Lecture Tour features rare materials from Yale’s collections (15th to 18th centuries): illustrated travel books and utopian tracts, architectural treatises and maps, ( best for adults and older children), Sterling Memorial Library, meet at the Yale Visitor Center, 149 Elm St., free, limited space, call for reservations: (203) 432-2300.
2 p.m., Walking Tour: Yale School of Music Collection of Musical Instruments Collection includes nearly 1,000 musical instruments from antiquity to the present, from both Western and non-Western traditions, meet at 15 Hillhouse Ave., $10, tickets: (203) 562-5666, www.artidea.org.
5:30 p.m., Ideas Program: A Conversation with Mark Morris & Joan Acocella Choreographer and conductor Mark Morris discuss his work with a special focus on "Dido and Aeneas," joined by Joan Acocella, dance writer for the New Yorker and author of the 1993 biography "Mark Morris," Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St.,free.
6 p.m., Jason Moran Prodigy pianist, composer and heir to the Thelonius Monk tradition, Moran and his band The Big Bandwagon bring an original multimedia piece based on Monk’s first show with a big band at Town Hall in 1959, Long Wharf Theatre, Stage II, 222 Sargent Drive, $30.
6:30 p.m., Peach Pie Band Original compositions, the songs of Tin Pan Alley, swing tunes, Celtic music and ’60s classics, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
9 p.m., Jason Moran See 6 p.m., above.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Noon, Walking Tour: Parachute Gallery Exhibition – "White Collar, Blue Collar, Pink Slip" How work shapes our identities. A collaboration between the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services and the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, meet at PRC, 319 Peck St., Bldg. 1, free.
Noon, Brazz Tree New World acoustic duo of violinist and singer Mazz Swift and acoustic guitarist Brad Hammonds, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:15 p.m., Balla Kouyate & World Vision Balafon player from the Djeli or griot tradition in Mali, Balla Kouyate can be heard on Yo-Yo Ma’s most recent album "Songs of Joy and Peace," Family Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:30 p.m., Walking Tour: Grove Street Cemetery One of the most historic cemeteries in the U.S., with the graves of New Haven’s earliest prominent citizens: Eli Whitney, Charles Goodyear, Noah Webster. A screening of the 60-minute Grove Street Cemetery film "City of the Dead, City of the Living" follows at 2:45 p.m. in Sterling Memorial Library lecture hall (128 Wall St.), meet at Grove Street Cemetery, Egyptian Revival Gate, 227 Grove St., free.
5 p.m., Foodie Tour: Small Plates in Ninth Square Skappo Italian Wine Bar, The Blue Pearl and 116 Crown, meet at Skappo Italian Wine Bar, 59 Crown St., $40, reservations required: (203) 562-5666, www.artidea.org.
5:30 p.m., Ideas Program: Kati Morton: A Hungarian/American Journey The Hungarian-American journalist, author and humanitarian provides a window into her family’s journey and personal search for identity in the context of 20th-century Hungarian history and human rights issues, Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., free.
5:30 p.m., Walking Tour: Marsh Botanical Garden Tour the gardens and glass houses with tropical collections of carnivorous plants, desert collection and other rare and interesting plants, listen to live music by a Klezmer string band, meet at Marsh Botanical Garden, 227 Mansfield St. (also accessible from 360 Prospect Street), free.
5:30 p.m., Bike Tour: Harborside Greenway East/Lighthouse Point Follow the East Coast Greenway along New Haven’s east shoreline to Lighthouse Park, home of an historic lighthouse and restored carousel (all riders, 12 miles), meet at the corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
6:30 p.m., Balla Kouyate & World Vision See 1:15 p.m., above.
8 p.m., "Ivanov" Set in 1960s rural Hungary, the Katona József Theatre Company’s approach to Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov is intellectual, nontraditional and fresh, layering comedy, tragedy and the spectrum of emotions within, University Theatre, 222 York St., $35.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Noon, Walking Tour: Kroon Hall – Yale’s Greenest Building Tour Yale’s new LEED platinim-slated School of Forestry and Environment building, one of the greenest buildings in America, which uses many sustainable techniques and systems rarely seen in this country (better suited for adults), meet on Prospect Street in the Kroon plaza, 195 Prospect St., free, limited space, reserve at (203) 432-2300.
Noon, Mother Turtle Marsia Shuron Harris’ songs are a soulful and danceable mix of rock, Latin, and reggae, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:15 p.m., Imagination in Motion Family Paul Rajeckas and Neil Intraub’s athletic movement theater performance combines mime, modern dance and vaudeville with dialogue, audience participation, Family Stage, New Haven Green, free.
4 p.m., Foodie Tour: Multicultural Art Driven Sushi and Sake Dinner by Bun Lai He breaks down food from different cultures and re-assembles them into another form to create a more expansive, human cuisine, Miya’s, 68 Howe St., $50, reservations required: (203) 562-5666, www.artidea.org.
5:30 p.m., Ideas Program: Confronting the Global Economic Crisis James Surowiecki, staff writer at the New Yorker, moderates a panel with Ray Fair and Robert Shiller (both professors of economics at Yale), Amy Butte, co-founder and CEO of Tile Financial, and Alonso Perez-Kakabadse, former Yale Fellow and economic advisor to the president of Ecuador, Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., free.
5:30 p.m., Walking Tour: A Very Concrete Tour of New Haven Concrete, cement, mortar – see how these ordinary materials have been used with ingenuity and artistry in downtown New Haven’s architecture, meet in front of Trinity Episcopal Church, corner of Temple and Chapel streets, free.
6:30 p.m., Jonny Rodgers & The Aviary, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
8 p.m., "Dido & Aeneas" Mark Morris Dance Group gracefully marries Henry Purcell’s 17th-century opera with contemporary movement in a lush spectacle of extraordinary dance, exquisite singing, and stark stately sets, Shubert Theater, 247 College St., $48 $36, $20, $10.
8 p.m., The Good Dance – dakar/brooklyn The latest project of Brooklyn-based Reggie Wilson (Fist & Heel Performance Group) and Congolese choreographer Andréya Ouamba, of 1er Temps, based in Dakar, Senegal, New Theater, 1156 Chapel St., $25.
8 p.m., "Ivanov" Set in 1960’s rural Hungary, the Katona József Theatre Company’s approach to Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov is intellectual, nontraditional and fresh, layering comedy, tragedy and the spectrum of emotions within, University Theatre, 222 York St., $35, artist discussion for performance ticketholders precedes the performance at 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Noon – Nicole Frechette A native of southern Connecticut, Nicole recorded her debut album in Nashville, Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
1:15 p.m., "Play Me A Story" Literary work will be translated into music, the result of composer Jacob Cooper’s collaboration with students from the Vincent Mauro School, Family Stage, New Haven Green, free.
2 p.m., Walking Tour: Yale School of Architecture Includes Paul Rudolph Hall, his iconic Art + Architecture Building, Jeffrey H. Loria Center for The History of Art and the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library (better suited for adults), meet at Rudolph Hall, 180 York St., free, space limited, reserve at (203) 432-2300.
5:30 p.m., Ideas Program: Jonah Lehrer: Proust Was a Neuroscientist How a group of 19th- and 20th-century artists each discovered an essential truth about the mind that neuroscience is only now rediscovering; with Dennis Spencer, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Yale Medical School, Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., free.
6:30pm – The Border Cops Elm Street Stage, New Haven Green, free.
8 p.m., "Dido & Aeneas" Mark Morris Dance Group gracefully marries Henry Purcell’s 17th-century opera with contemporary movement in a lush spectacle of extraordinary dance, exquisite singing and stark stately sets, Shubert Theater, 247 College St., $48 $36, $20, $10.
8 p.m., The Good Dance – dakar/brooklyn The latest project of Brooklyn-based Reggie Wilson (Fist & Heel Performance Group) and Congolese choreographer Andréya Ouamba, of 1er Temps, based in Dakar, Senegal, New Theater, 1156 Chapel St., $25, artist discussion for performance ticketholders follows.
8 p.m., "Ivanov" Set in 1960’s rural Hungary, the Katona József Theatre Company’s approach to Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov is intellectual, nontraditional and fresh, layering comedy, tragedy and the spectrum of emotions within, University Theatre, 222 York St., $35.
SATURDAY, JUNE 27
10 a.m., Walking Tour: City Farmers’ Market Wooster Square Meet at corner of Chapel Street & DePalma Court, free.
Noon, Walking Tour: Paintings from the Reign of Victoria: The Royal Holloway Collection, London Sixty works from the Holloway collection that exemplify a range of themes in mid-Victorian art, meet at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., free.
1 p.m., The Good Dance – dakar/brooklyn The latest project of Brooklyn-based Reggie Wilson (Fist & Heel Performance Group) and Congolese choreographer Andréya Ouamba, of 1er Temps, based in Dakar, Senegal, New Theater, 1156 Chapel St., $25.
1 p.m., Foodie Tour: Savory & Sweet Dolci, L’Orcio, and Caseus, meet at Dolci, 932 State St., admission: $40, reservations required: (203) 562-5666 or www.artidea.org.
2 p.m., Bike Tour: Science Park and Dixwell – History, Architecture and Culture, 1860-2010 (all riders, 9 miles), meet at the corner of College and Chapel streets, free.
3 p.m., "Ivanov" Set in 1960s rural Hungary, the Katona József Theatre Company’s approach to Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov is intellectual, nontraditional and fresh, layering comedy, tragedy and the spectrum of emotions within, University Theatre, 222 York St., $35.
3 p.m., The Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London Celebrating the 350th anniversary of the birth of Henry Purcell in a perfect blend of pure voices in singing that is coolly contemporary, romantically heroic, and breathtakingly expressive, United Church on the Green, 323 Temple St., $15.
3 p.m., Ideas Program: The First 159 Days – A Look at The Obama Presidency New York Times Managing Editor Jill Abramson, co-author of the bestseller "Obama: The Historic Journey," leads panelists Beverly Gage, Yale professor of 20th century U.S. history, Nell Painter, the Edwards Professor of American History at Princeton, Richard Norton Smith, scholar in residence at George Mason Unversity, Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., free.
5 p.m., World Cafe Share your reflections at the World Café, a space for conversation, food and refreshments, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drink discounts (cash bar); visit www.theworldcafe.com to learn more, The Study at Yale, 1157 Chapel St., free.
6 p.m., THE GOOD DANCE See 1 p.m., above.
7 p.m., Festival Grand Finale: Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars & Bio Ritmo Bio Ritmo is one of the leading bands preserving the roots of salsa classica–while also incorporating unusual sonic influences, ranging from electronica, Afrobeat and Brazilian pop to disco and Middle Eastern grooves, free.

WOODBRIDGE - Registration is available for a daytime Book Discussion to be held at noon July 29 at the Woodbridge Town Library.

The discussion will be led by Reference Librarian Fran Sauer, and the topic will be "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield, library organizers said.

Participants are asked to bring lunch, drinks and dessert will be provided.
In the book, enigmatic and renowned writer Vida Winter, now old and ailing, summons biographer Margaret Lea to her house in order to finally reveal the truth about her violent and tragic secret past. Margaret is enthralled by the story of the peculiar Angelfield family: sadistic Charlie, strange but beautiful Isabelle and her wild, unpredictable twin daughters, Adeline and Emmeline.

During the telling of the story, Margaret is swept up by the gothic atmosphere of Vida Winter’s past, and haunted by the ghosts of Miss Winter and Margaret’s own past. Margaret must decide how much of the story is truth and how much fiction.

The program is free and all are welcome to join. Registration is requested. Copies of the book will be provided to registered participants. To register, or for more information, visit the Circulation Desk, call 389-3433, or e-mail pvalsecchi@ci.woodbridge.ct.us.

Lead is a serious risk to children's health


On Sunday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carousel Pavilion at Lighthouse Park, New Haven, the New Haven Health Department's Bureau of Environmental Health and the Yale-New Haven Lead Program will hold the 9th Annual Lead Awareness Picnic.


The community event aims to educate local families about childhood lead poisoning prevention through discussion, educational giveaways and entertainment.


New Haven Health Department’s Environmental Health Director, Paul Kowalski, will join representatives from the Health Department, the Yale-New Haven Lead Program, other service agencies and local entertainers in providing lead poisoning prevention information designed to teach parents and children how to reduce the risks of lead poisoning.


Health Department staff will be on site to answer questions and educational materials, and there will be lead screening of toys and dishware. Giveaways and refreshments will be available. Childhood lead poisoning is a serious issue – an estimated 890,000 children between the ages of 1 and 5 live with elevated blood lead levels in the United States.


Locally, health care providers reported that 259 children tested positive for elevated blood lead levels in New Haven in 2008, 48 of whom had moderate to high levels. The event at Lighthouse is an effort to bring down the number of lead cases found in the state, organizers said.



- Amber Simone Jones

"America the Beautiful" casting call for Pilot Pen tournament

NEW HAVEN — Pilot Pen Tennis will hold the 2nd annual Pilot Pen Tennis Casting Call to select children to perform "America the Beautiful" at the 2009 Pilot Pen Tennis tournament from 4 to 8 p.m. June 10 at the Shubert Theater, 247 College St.
Winners will perform live on stadium court during all evening sessions of this year’s tournament, August 21-29, as well as both men’s and women’s final.
The open auditions, sponsored by Olympus America, are free. Children 12 and younger, as of August 29, will be asked to sing "America the Beautiful" a cappella in front of a panel of celebrity judges, including American R&B and pop singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress JoJo, who’s first two albums have debuted at No. 4 and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 200. Other celebrity judges include Desiree Fontaine, co-host of WTNH’s Connecticut Style, and a disc jockey from radio station KC101 (WKCI-FM).
The Pilot Pen will announce the final selections on June 30. All contestants will receive tickets to the Pilot Pen. For more information on the open casting call, including official rules, visit www.pilotpentennis.com.

NEW HAVEN — The Greater New Haven African-American Historical Society will hold its sixth annual Lifetime Awards Program at 2 p.m. June 20 at the Adanti Center of Southern Connecticut State University.
The guest speaker will be Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut State National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The 2009 Community Awardees are Sue Carroll, Willie Holmes and Lula White.
There will be a reception after the awardees are recognized. it will include a historical exhibit, music and refreshments. The program is free and open to the public.

Upcoming events and happenings

NEW HAVEN — Registration is being accepted for the CPR/AED for the professional rescuer review for lifeguards course taught by the South Central Connecticut Chapter, American Red Cross.
Training will be held 5-10:30 p.m. June 18 at the Red Cross, 703 Whitney Ave. The fee is $50.

ORANGE — The Fellowship of Orthodox Christians of Connecticut is sponsoring a free, Paul and Lisa Program for Parents titled, "Learn How to Keep Your Children Safe as They Use the Internet."
The program will be held 7:30 p.m. June 18 at the St. Barbara Orthodox Church, 480 Race Brook Road.
Refreshments will be served.
Topics of discussion will include predators, Internet trends, interactive gaming, cell phones, parent checklist, warning signs, parental control software, cyber-bullying, safety tips for the Web, e-mail and blogs.
For further information, contact the Paul & Lisa Program (800) 518-2238 or paulandlisa.org or St. Barbara Church at 795-1347.


EAST HAVEN — Fair Haven and Westville Railroad Co. Trolley Car 355 will return to service June 21 at the Connecticut Trolley Museum after its two-decade restoration.
This open car built in 1902 by the J.G. Brill Co. of Philadelphia last ran on the Yale Bowl line in New Haven bringing riders to the football games at the Yale Bowl. Trolley service ended on thie line Nov. 22, 1947, and service ended in New Haven Sept. 25, 1948.
The trolley museum will be open from noon-5 p.m. June 21 with a ribbon cutting for Car 355 at 1 p.m.
As this event is being held on Father’s Day, any father visiting the museum that day will be admitted for free, with a paid child’s admission.
The trolley had extensive restoration including electrical, body and cosmetic work.
For more information, visit www.ct-trolley.org or call the museum office at (860) 627-6540.

From June 1-4, the Hopkins School senior class, with faculty and staff chaperones, volunteered time in remodeling of several houses on sites around Bridgeport with Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, thhe school said in a statement.

Seniors installed windows and siding, built scaffolding and pre-fabricated walls, painted home exteriors, and created a community garden on a previously vacant lot, the statement said. Hopkins’ volunteers also cleaned two large vacant schools; one of the schools, the Barnum School, was just purchased by Achievement First. That school was cleaned and readied for opening in August, the statement said.

Also, a day was spent helping at the Girl Scouts Camp Murray in East Haven, repairing benches, sanding then staining the interior of the camp “chalet” and landscaping.

The project is the third year in a commitment to community service by Hopkins School. Instead of final exams, each year a week-long event is planned with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and United Way of Greater New Haven and United Way of Coastal Fairfield County for the senior class and Hopkins faculty and staff to work together for local communities, the statement said.

NORTH HAVEN — The Peter’s Rock Association welcomes the public to Peter’s Rock today, in celebration of National Trails Day June 6.
Self-guided tours of the trails at Peter’s Rock Park, off Middletown Avenue, are available at any time.
People can picnic at the park entrance at 133 Middletown Ave., just behind First Fuel gas station, or can observe spring flowers and trees in bud. A garden was planted last year around the flagpole by the North Haven Garden Club and a weeping cherry tree was planted last fall in memory of John Lamonaca.
Other park improvements include a boardwalk constructed at the approach to the bridge over the stream on the red trail thanks to Eagle Scout Phil Cooper, and the yellow trail to the garden was partially blazed by Scout leader Diane Worrest and her troop. Maps are available at the park.

Internationally acclaimed sculptor Andrew DeVries, whose studio is in Lenox, Mass., will be at the Bee and Thistle Inn and Spa June 6 to demonstrate a bronze pouring as he casts a sculpture using the ancient art of the “lost wax” process.
The event is from 1 to 4 p.m. at 100 Lyme St., Old Lyme.
Oragnizers said DeVries' demonstrations involve heating about 65 lbs. of metal in a small furnace for 45 minutes to an hour until molten.
He then pours the bronze into a prepared mold, which is an incredible sight.
The event is open to the public free of charge.
DeVries also will unveil his latest commission, which is a ¾ life-size bronze entitled "Innocence." The new work is one of "the most technically challenging figures that the artist has ever done," organizers said.
Visit www.beeandthistleinn.com/events.htm for more information. For more information on DeVries, visit www.andrewdevries.com.

The CT Business Expo, a free event, will offer 24 free educational seminars hosted by industry elite speakers and trainers, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 4, at the Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, organizers said.
All of the educational seminars will be held in six custom built classrooms on the show floor, providing convenience for attendees and maximum foot traffic for exhibitors, according to the event Web site. Each seminar is 45 minutes
The six educational tracks include: Sales Development 1 and Sales Development 2Marketing and Public Relations General Business Practices/ Human Resources, Best Practices/ Information Technology Business Growth Strategies, the event Web site says.
More than 4,000 business professionals attended the 2008 expo and more than 5,200 are expected in 2009, the site says.

Here is an example of one seminar, to be presented by Suzi Craig, director of marketing for Hartford-based Fathom, look here for details.

For more information, visit: http://ctbexpo.com/index.php

If you're having trouble getting around Long Wharf, find out why at CT's Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

ORANGE - Al de Cant, well known local singer and songwriter will be featured in Pajama Jam, a family concert and fundraiser sponsored by the Orange Arts and Culture Council at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 12 in the High Plains Community Center cafeteria/lounge.

De Cant is known for the way he engages the audience with singing, dancing, clapping, marching, playing percussive instruments and signing about caring, friendship, family, the environment and silly things in life, organizers said. His high-energy tunes reflect many genres, including folk, rock and roll, and Afro-Reggae rhythms, organizers said.

Everyone is invited to come in pajamas, nightgowns, robes, slippers –whatever is comfortable. Bring a pillow, a teddy bear, a blanket. Refreshments will be served after the concert. OACC members will do face painting throughout the evening.


Tickets are $5.00 ($20.00 for families of five and over). For ticket information call 397-8915.
The event is a fundraiser for the OACC’s proposed black box theatre, a flexible performing/exhibition space to be housed in the Clark Building in the old library stacks area. A feasibility study on the space has been done, the Board of Selectmen has approved the concept and the OACC is actively involved in fundraising for the renovation of the space. Attending this concert is a way to support the arts in Orange, to add a bit to the Building Fund, and to have a good time, organizers said.

NEW HAVEN — With the summer season just around the corner from Memorial Day Weekend, the state Department of Environmental and Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station ask campers, vacationers and state residents citizens not to transport firewood from its original site as doing so could spread the Asian Longhorned Beetle and other wood pests.
The Asian Longhorned Beetle is a serious pest that can kill hardwood trees that are common in Connecticut, the DEP said in a statement. Although the beetle has not been found in the state yet, federal agricultural officials confirmed it is in nearby Worcester, Mass. About 64 square miles in Worcester and surrounding towns are regulated due to the beetle infestation, the statement said and infested trees are being removed and destroyed. The beetle also has been found in New York City and New Jersey.
The DEP and CAES recommend purchase of firewood near camp or seasonal home destinations, instead of bringing it from home. All wood purchased at camps and seasonal homes should be used and not brought home.
Any tree infested with the beetle will die because the larvae tunnel in the wood and prevent the tree from receiving nutrition, the statement said. Infested trees need to be removed as early as possible, and the earlier an infestation is found and reported, the quicker federal, state and local officials can work to remove the pest, the statement said. Suspected infestations can be reported to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station at Caes.StateEntomologist@ct.gov or the Office of the State Entomologist at (203)-974-8474. Reports also can be called in to the Asian Longhorned beetle New England hotline number (866) 702-9938.

NEW HAVEN - Yale-New Haven Hospital is offering a new online childbirth education class for parents who are not able to attend conventional childbirth classes due to bed rest, scheduling conflicts or time constraints.

The online class is an interactive, web-based program that includes animated illustrations and videos, the hospital said in a statement. It can be viewed on a PC or Mac. High speed internet is advised, but dial-up will work although it will take longer to download. The program also includes one scheduled face-to-face class with an educator.

For more information about fees, call "WELL/ A Mother's Place" at 9203) 688-9355.

WOODBRIDGE - Jacob Zonderman, a senior at Amity High School and a percussion student at Neighborhood Music School in New Haven, will present a recital of music of many genres featuring percussion at 7:30 p.m. June 11 at Amity, 25 Newton Road.

Proceeds from the recital will benefit the Amity High School Music Department and the Neighborhood Music School scholarship fund.

Jacob will be joined by his teachers and friends from Amity and NMS, including Philip Dolan, Nick Forte, Gretchen Hary, Jesse Hameen II, the NMS Premier Jazz Ensemble, and the Amity High School Wind and Jazz Ensembles and Drum Line.

Suggested donation is $5. For more information, call 203-799-7961.

In photo: Jacob Zonderman in the percussion room at Neighborhood Music School

NEW HAVEN — The Tomlinson Bridge will be closed for part of the day today through Thursday.

The bridge, which carries Forbes Avenue (Route 1) over the mouth of the Quinnipiac River, will undergo routine inspection from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the state Department of Transportation. Forbes Avenue will be closed between East and Stiles streets during those times.

A detour will be put in place during the inspection. The schedule could be modified or extended depending on weather or other unforeseen reason, the DOT said.