Thursday, March 31, 2011

A time to eat in New Haven

The Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee has a "food fest" planned from 1 to 5 p.m. April 3 with food items the whole family will enjoy, organizer said.
The event will feature Irish and Italian dishes from popular local restaurants and pastry shops, the organizers said.
It will be held at the Knights of St Patrick, 1533 State St., New Haven.
A partial listing of the businesses supplying food include: Only the Best, Lorenzo's Restaurant, Corso's Deli, Anthony John's, Pasta Avest, Nick & Tony's Appiza, Francesco's, Paesano's Pastries, Lucibello's Pastries, Chibaso Bread, Playwright Restaurant, and Flemmings, organizers said.
Parade Committee members also will supply trays of homemade food and desserts, organizers said. The menu will range from pastas to various meat dishes. Vegetarian food and gluten free items will be offered.
Reservations are encouraged but a limited number of tickets will be available at the door.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and can be reserved by contacting Joe Mastroangelo at 203-843-2612 or Kathleeen Saunders at camerakate@yahoo.com

New Haven Chorale sings for the human spirit

The New Haven Chorale presents “Journey of the Soul” at 7:30 p.m. April 30 at Woolsey Hall, 500 College St., New Haven. More than 400 performers will present a gala concert of musical masterpieces and readings that portray humanity’s spiritual journey.

The chorale will be joined by the Hartt Symphony Orchestra, Hartt Choruses amd the Connecticut Children’s Chorus, performing Brahms’ “Schicksalslied” (“Song of Destiny”), Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and the “Urlicht” and “Finale” of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.”

Tickets, at $20, $35 for premium seating, $15 for seniors and free for students with ID, are available at www.newhavenchorale.org or by calling 203-776-SONG. A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Neighborhood Music School.

Quinnipiac law students to race for veterans

Adapted from a press release from Quinnipiac University:

Students from the Quinnipiac University School of Law will hold a 5-kilometer race April 16 to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Burns Inn of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity and the Veterans Advocacy Group are hosts for the second annual Sleeping Giant 5k Run/Walk Challenge, which starts at 9 a.m. Participants will race to the top of the Tower Trail in Sleeping Giant State Park.

Proceeds will support the Wounded Warrior Project, a national nonprofit organization that offers services to wounded veterans, including benefits counseling, peer mentoring, career advice and recreational opportunities. Last year, the event raised more than $1,200 for the organization.

“We are proud to once again work with the Wounded Warrior Project on this fund-raiser to benefit our nation's veterans and their families,” said Brian Gregorio, president and co-founder of the Veterans Advocacy Group. “The strain on our nation's military makes organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project that much more important and we are proud to do our part to make the lives of those who have fought for us just a little better. It is important for veterans to remember that there are people who remember our veterans’ sacrifices and services to our country.”

Co-sponsors of the event include the Student Bar Association, the Sports & Entertainment Law Society, the Intellectual Property Law Society and the Federalist Society, all student organizations at Quinnipiac University School of Law.

Participants are encouraged to pre-register online by April 13 at www.sleepinggiant5k.com. All pre-registered athletes will receive a race T-shirt. The event is limited to 250 participants. Pre-registration is $20 for adults; $15 for students and athletes under 18; and $10 for Quinnipiac law students. On race day, the fee is $25 for all participants.

Express bus adds stop in North Haven, new trips

Adapted from a press release from the state Department of Transportation:

The schedule for the No. 20 New Haven/Hartford Express bus will be expanded as of Monday, with additional trips, more convenient timing and a new bus stop in North Haven.

The schedule changes and changes in stops were made to take into account work schedules and employees in both New Haven and Hartford. The route also serves New Haven’s Union Station.

“I am happy to say that we have found a way to cost-effectively improve service for our existing customers and to attract new customers,” said acting DOT Commissioner James Redeker. “The new schedule makes this route a great alternative for commuters to avoid driving alone to work along the Interstate 91 corridor.”

Additional trips have been added to both the morning and afternoon schedule and an additional stop will be added at the Devine Street Park & Ride Lot B, near Exit 10 off Interstate 91 in North Haven (shown at right).

The route will continue to serve the Middletown/Country Club Road Park & Ride Lot near Exit 20 off I-91. However, the stop at the Park & Ride Lot at Wolcott Hill in Wethersfield will only be served by New Haven-bound buses in the morning and Hartford-bound buses in the afternoon.

New schedule and route information can be found at www.cttransit.com.


State to walk, mark Connecticut's boundary

Adapted from a press release from the state Department of Transportation:

Staff from the state Department of Transportation will be walking Connecticut’s borders, a journey it makes every 10 years.

The State Line Perambulation of the state boundary is required by state law for the purpose of “preserving the evidence of its locality.” The DOT will visit all state-line boundary markers using the most recent descriptions and update the descriptions to conform to current condition and appearance. The examination of each monument and boundary marker is recorded to determine any damage, displacement or destruction and to recommend repair or replacement if warranted.

Property owners will be notified as needed in the process of visiting the state line monuments and boundary markers.

The perambulation will begin about April 1 and continue through the next few months in Woodstock, Thompson, Putnam, Killingly, Sterling, Voluntown, North Stonington and Stonington.


Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Benefit concert at New Haven school will feature Yale Jazz Ensemble

But students also will perform


John C. Daniels School will hold a benefit concert, “Jazz Under the Stars,” featuring the Yale Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Thomas C. Duffy from 7 to 8 p.m. April 4 at the school courtyard.
Bring a blanket or cushion as you enjoy the sweet sound of jazz.
All proceeds from this benefit will purchase high quality new instruments for JCD band students, organizers said in a statement.
The "instruments will provide the opportunity for more advanced playing and go with the students as they matriculate at high school and beyond," the statement said.
The Yale Jazz Ensemble, a 17-piece big band, will treat guests to a special performance as they perform a wide variety of music, from the music of standard swing bands to the newest, most progressive jazz compositions, the statement said.
There also will be a special performance of Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek” featuring vocalist Stasha Rosen, a member of Yale’s Redhot & Blue a cappella group, the statement said.

Duffy is the director of Bands at Yale University and professor (adj.) in the Yale School of Music. He will lead the YJE and will invite selected John C. Daniels students to perform with this prestigious ensemble, the statement said.
“We are proud to support the mission of John C. Daniels School," Duffy said in the statement. "It is our hope to contribute to the musical education to these aspiring student musicians. Plus, it is a wonderful way to contribute back to our community.”
The school's music program has 55 member students in second through eighth grade.
A suggested donation for the event is $5 for adults, with no charge for children to attend.
To reserve tickets, contact John Miller at 203-623-8691 or by email PTO-Daniels@new-haven.k12.ct.us

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Psychologist to discuss ethics of assisting torture at Yale Law

A panel to discuss how psychologists were involved with interrogating detainees during the Bush administration will take place at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday at Yale Law School.

“Experimenting with Torture: Psychology, Morality and the Law,” sponsored by the group Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice, features Steven Reisner, a psychologist who led the protests against the practice, according to a press release.

Reisner will talk about a group of psychologists and psychoanalysts who protested the American Psychological Association’s involvement in torture by the United States military and intelligence services, the release said.

Reisner is co-author of a 2010 report by Physicians for Human Rights about the torture of prisoners held after the 9/11 attacks.

Other panelists include Dr. Thomas Duffy, professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and director of the Program for Humanities in Medicine at Yale; Hope Metcalf, director of the Limon Public Interest Program at Yale Law School; and Frederick Simmons, professor of ethics at Yale Divinity School.

The event is sponsored by the Orville H. Schell Jr. Center for International Human Rights, Yale Divinity School, the Yale chaplain’s office and Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice.

It will take place at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday at Yale Law School, 100 Wall St., Room 122.

NAACP Great Debate III will be held at Yale

The State Conference NAACP will hold the 3rd Annual Great Debate featuring Yale University and Howard University Debate Teams at 7 p.m. April 9 at Yale’s Woolsey Hall, 500 College St.

The Great Debate III will be moderated Connecticut native and Howard University Alumni attorney John C. Brittain, shown in photo, according to a statement.
"The debate follows in the steps of the film 'The Great Debaters,' which was released in 2007 and directed by Denzel Washington," the statement said. "The film told the story of an all African-American debating team from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas that rose to national prominence in the 1930s and defeated a powerhouse Ivy League debate team."

“The movie inspired students everywhere to embrace the power of thoughtful, focused dialogue,” NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile said in the statement. “With this annual event, we hope to keep that enthusiasm alive, and to provide a forum for young voices to be heard.”

General admission for the event is $20; VIP admission, which includes a pre-event reception, is $50.
All tickets purchased will include a free NAACP youth membership and tickets are being handled through the Shubert Theater box office (203) 5666 or http://www.shubert.com/.
For patrons wanting to stay overnight, rooms can be secured at the Marriot at Yale for $119, the statement said. Reference the Great Debate. (1-800-Marriot)

Other 2011 Great Debate weekend activities:

April 9: There will be an early evening welcome reception for the debate teams from the two universities and Howard University Alumni Club of Greater New Haven will act as co-host for a pre-debate alumni happy hour from 6 to 9 p.m. at Geronimo’s, 271 Crown St. On Saturday, the debate will be followed by a post debate party at Kelly's Restaurant, 196 Crown St.

Marrow donor registration event to be held in New Haven

Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Rhode Island Blood Center's "Be The Match" Marrow Donor Program will hold a marrow donor registration drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 13 at Yale-New Haven Hospital.


The drive will be held in the hospital's East Pavilion cafeteria at the 20 York St. entrance, according to a statement.
"We are once again looking to create awareness and help people find ways to save lives and help others by donating blood stem cells or bone marrow," Dr. Stuart Seropian, medical oncologist and director of the National Marrow Donor Program at Yale-New Haven Hospital, said in the statement.

"If medicine and other treatments fail for patients with leukemia, they may be candidates for a bone marrow transplant," Seropian said. "A transplant requires matching tissue types between the patient and donor. Tissue types are inherited, and 70 percent of patients do not have a matched donor in their family. These patients and those without siblings turn to the 'Be The Match' Registry operated by the National Marrow Donor Program to find a match."

The statement also said that b:y the end of this year, it is expected that 50 patients will have received a bone marrow transplant at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Nationally, the National Marrow Donor Program facilitated more than 5, 200 transplants in 2010."
 The "Be The Match" registry includes more than 9 million people who have volunteered to donate marrow or blood stem cells to any patient, anywhere in the world, the statement said.

"We strongly encourage minority groups to attend our drive because minorities are underrepresented in the registry," Seropian said, also in the statement. "Recipients have the best chance of finding a match within their own ethnic group, and the national registry needs more registered donors among African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and American Indians."

Potential donors will complete a consent form, fill out a health questionnaire and give a sample of cheek cells from the inside of the mouth using four sterile cotton swabs, the statement said. Donors must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in reasonably good health.

"Since it began operations in 1987, the NMDP has facilitated more than 43,000 marrow or blood stem cell transplants for patients who do not have matching donors in their families," said Nicole Pineault, account executive for the "Be The Match" Registry at the Rhode Island Blood Center, also in the statement. "We're thrilled that Yale-New Haven is working with us to add more donors. Their generosity offers hope to the 10,000 patients a year in need of an unrelated transplant."

For more information on the donor drive contact Nicole Pineault at the Rhode Island blood center at 401-248-5720 and/or npineault@ribc.org.
For questions specific to YNHH, email Susan Faraone, R.N., allogeneic stem cell transplant coordinator at susan.faraone@ynhh.org . If you cannot attend the drive on April 13 and are interested in registering online, please visit http://join.BeTheMatch.org/ribc or http://www.ribc.org/
 
Editor's Note: All information in this post was directly provided by YNHH.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Sacred Heart University names John Petillo president

From a press release issued by Sacred Heart University:

FAIRFIELD — John J. Petillo, former dean of the John F. Welch College of Business and past chancellor and CEO of Seton Hall University, has been named president of Sacred Heart University. Petillo, who has served as interim president of the university for five months, was selected after an extensive national search.

The Board of Trustees appointed Petillo as the sixth president in the university’s 48-year history on the unanimous recommendation of a 15-member search committee.

“It became apparent from our own efforts and the feedback we received from many sources that Dr. Petillo was the strongest candidate for the job,” said James T. Morley Jr., university trustee and chairman of the search committee. “No one could equal the expertise and vision of Dr. Petillo. We believe he will articulate, develop and implement a clear strategic plan and vision for Sacred Heart University and build on our tradition of excellence.”

Petillo has been at Sacred Heart since March 2009. In addition to Seton Hall, he previously held a number of executive positions, including president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, president of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and president and CEO of the Newark Alliance, a private-public partnership of eight corporations.

“I am delighted to accept this responsibility at a school I have known for so long and whose mission I admire so much,” Petillo said. “Sacred Heart is blessed with a remarkable and hopeful energy. I look forward to working with the faculty in the spirit of collegiality and transparency as we move Sacred Heart University forward into the 21st century with a vision that is founded on our Catholic intellectual tradition.”

He added, “I believe we must be student-centered, results-driven and firmly focused on the quality of education we provide. We must also continue to strengthen Sacred Heart as a Catholic university.”

Bishop William E. Lori, chairman of the board, said, “I am very pleased that John has been appointed president of Sacred Heart University. He has a wide range of experience in both Catholic higher education and the corporate world, and I believe he will strengthen and enhance the Catholic mission and identity of Sacred Heart University as we move forward in the face of new challenges and opportunities.”

Petillo succeeds Anthony J. Cernera, who was president of SHU from 1988 to October 2010.

Sacred Heart, which is the second-largest Catholic university in New England, has more than 6,000 undergraduates and graduate students.

Petillo is married and his wife is a board-certified internist. They have a daughter.

"Books on the Vine!" A benefit for Guilford Free Library

GUILFORD - Shoreline Financial Advisors is sponsoring an event to help collect books and funds from the public to support the local library.
Shoreline Financial Advisors of Guilford Connecticut will hold a benefit for the Guilford Free Library at from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 5 at Quattro's Italian Restaurant at 14 Water St.
"Our public libraries are an integral part of our community and support the education of our children. It is imperative we support our libraries to continue the growth of our towns, counties and nation. The economic downturn has hit the library hard and it depends on public funds for its inventory of new books," said Brendan T. Smith, partner, Shoreline Financial Advisors, in a statement.
"The Books on the Vine event will help with the funding of the annual incoming books. We are grateful to our partners, Quattro's Italian Restaurant, Friends of the Guilford Public Library and Blue Plate Radio for supporting this event with complimentary appetizers and jazz music. We hope to raise an incredible amount of books and money to support the library."
Participation in the event includes donating a bag of books in exchange for a glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, the statement said.
The donated books will be used by the Friends of the Guilford Free Library at their annual book sale, the statement said.
This year, 2011, is the 30th Anniversary book sale which helps fund the purchase of new books for the library, the statement said.
"We are so grateful to Shoreline Financial Advisors for building this great event for the Friends of the Library as they have given so much to us over the past 30 years," Sandy Ruoff, director of the Guilford Free Library said in the statement. "I've seen the Friends of the Library book sale every year for the past 30 years and they have built it up from $500 the first year to tens of thousands of dollars. In the recent economic downturn, we've seen lower numbers at the sale, so events like Books on the Vine will help to pull our numbers back up to continue to make the Guilford Free Library an excellent resource for our community."
The 30th anniversary of the Friends of the Guilford Free Library book sale will take place this year on September 23, 24 and 25, 2011 at the Guilford Free Library, 67 Park St.
RSVP or find more information about Books on the Vine at: www.sfabooksonthevine.eventbrite.com or call Shoreline Financial Advisors directly at 203-458-6800.







New Haven Alderman Sergio Rodriguez to hold 'night in' meeting

NEW HAVEN — Alderman Sergio Rodriguez, D-26, will hold an Alderman Night In meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Sheridan Middle School, 191 Fountain St. Residents will have a chance to meet with Rodriguez individually to ask questions, discuss issues, or share ideas.


Ward 26 Night In will be held monthly, alternating between Sheridan and Barnard Schools. Neighbors are welcome and encouraged to share ideas and concerns and discuss important neighborhood issues. Coffee will be available. For more information, contact Rodriguez at 203-387-3888 or ward26@newhavenct.net.

In case you like to plan ahead


NEW HAVEN — Tweed New Haven Regional Airport announces "Tweed Airfest 2011," a family-centered air show and fair on Oct. 1 and 2 with all proceeds donated to Angel Flight NE (www.angelflightne.org).
Airfest 2011 will feature a variety of aircraft on display, including World War II planes. Visitors can see the planes up close and learn about them from pilots who fly them and specialists who maintain them. The Iron Eagles will perform an acrobatics show, and many local food vendors will be on site. In addition, the Airfest will offer the chance to climb aboard a (tethered) hot air balloon, sign up for helicopter rides and visit sponsor displays.
Angel Flight NE is nonprofit volunteer network of private pilots who donate their time, planes, fuel and resources to provide free air transportation, including transporting children in need of transplants. Tickets for the show go on sale May 15 at www.tweedairfest.com.
For more information, visit www.tweedairfest.com or call 203-466-8833, ext. 100.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Connecticut Women of Achievement Breakfast slated

Greater New Haven is well represented

NORTH HAVEN — The Girl Scouts of Connecticut Women of Achievement Breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. April 6 at Fantasia Banquet Facility, 404 Washington Ave.

Tickets are $50.
The event will celebrate women business and community leaders in Greater New Haven.
Honorees are Mary Lou Aleskie, International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven; Heather Calabrese, United Way of Greater New Haven; Sharon Cappetta, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven; Barbara Chesler, Yale University; Lorraine DeLuz, Wilbur Cross High School; Karen DuBois-Walton, New Haven Housing Authority; Alice Forrester, Clifford Beers Clinic; Kim Healey, NewAlliance Foundation; Seila Mosquera-Bruno, NeighborWorks New Horizons; Mary L. Pepe, RE: Solution, LLC; and Diane Young Turner, Yale University.

For more information, contact Deirdre Chambers at dchambers@gsofct.org, 860-522-0163 ext. 3257, or visit http://www.gsofct.org/.

Nicholas Kristof to speak at Yale: Topic is women

NEW HAVEN —New York Times columnist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof will talk about his new book, “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” at 4:30 p.m.  April 5 in the Yale Law School’s Levinson Auditorium, 127 Wall St.


His lecture is free and open to the public, according to a statement.

The visit is sponsored by the Chubb Fellowship at Timothy Dwight College, the statement said.
Kristof co-authored “Half the Sky” with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, who will be a senior fellow next fall at Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, the statement said. The two are also authors of “China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power” and “Thunder from the East: Portrait of a Rising Asia.”
"In 1990 Kristof and WuDunn, then also a Times journalist, won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of China’s Tiananmen Square democracy movement," the statement said.
"They were the first married couple to win a Pulitzer for journalism. Kristof won a second Pulitzer in 2006, for what the judges called 'his graphic, deeply reported columns that, at personal risk, focused attention on genocide in Darfur and that gave voice to the voiceless in other parts of the world.'"

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Sneak peek: African Cats in New Haven

NEW HAVEN —There will be a special advance screening of the Disneynature film, “African Cats,” about the adventures of three lions in one of the wildest places on Earth on April 3 as part of the third annual Environmental Film Festival at Yale.

The film, which is narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, will be shown at 11 a.m. at the BowTie Criterion Theater at 86 Temple St., according to a release.

The film features Mara, a lion cub who struggles to grow up in the shadow of her mother; Sitah, a cheetah and mother of five newborns; and Fang, who must defend his family from a rival lion.



Watch a preview here:

The movie will premiere worldwide in theaters on Earth Day, April 22.

The festival ends April 3, and all screenings and events are free. Panel discussions with filmmakers and Yale faculty will be held after each film. Screenings will take place at the Whitney Humanities Center at 53 Wall St., unless otherwise noted. Visit www.environment.yale.edu/film for more information.

- March 25, EFFY is co-sponsoring the premiere of “Journey of the Universe,” a documentary about the connection between humanity, Earth and the cosmos. The film is produced by Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-director of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, and will be shown simultaneously in Kroon Hall and Sage Hall at 7 p.m. It will also be shown at 1 p.m. Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Peabody Museum and at 5:30 p.m. in Kroon Hall.

- March 28: An Oscar-nominated documentary about an artist who collaborates with garbage pickers at the world’s largest landfill in Rio de Janiero will be show.

In “Waste Land,” artist Vik Muniz works with an eclectic band of trash pickers, to create art that will ultimately transform their lives. The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Whitney Humanities Center on 53 Wall St. There will be a screening of “Life in a Landfill” before “Waste Land.”

- March 29, 7 p.m.: East Coast premiere of “Connected: An Autobiography of Love, Death, and Technology.” Director Tiffany Shlain goes on a personal journey to understand the meaning of human connections—to one another and the natural world. “U: Uranium” examines the contamination of the waters and health of native and non-native communities across the Southwest as a result of decades of uranium mining and milling.

- March 30, 4 p.m., Kroon Hall, Room 319: “The City Dark” examines the growing concern over light pollution. A four-minute screening of “The Herd” finds a deer befriending a farmer’s herd of cattle. “City Dark” director Ian Cheney, an F&ES alum, will hold an environmental filmmaking workshop on financing, shooting and editing an independent documentary. It is free. RSVP required at effy@yale.edu.

- March 31, 7 p.m.: “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” examines the transformation and radicalization of one of its members. The FBI called the group America’s “No. 1 domestic terrorism threat” after it burned down several timber companies it considered a threat to the environment.

- April 1, 7 p.m.: “In Bag It,” Jeb Berrier, an average guy, makes a pledge to stop using plastic bags. Beforehand, a screening of “The Majestic Plastic Bag,” a mockumentary about the life of a plastic bag narrated by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons.

- April 2, another premiere will feature three filmmakers on a 50-state tour to personalize sustainability in “YERT: Your Environmental Road Trip,” at 7p.m. A 5-minute screening of “Wee Wise Words” will feature an animated portrayal of children’s ideas about the environment.

- April 2, 4 p.m.: “The Warriors of Qiugang” chronicles how one Chinese village stood up against a polluting chemical plant. The documentary was nominated for a 2011 Academy Award. Also, “When the Water Ends” tells of the conflict between tribal groups in Kenya and Ethiopa over water and land and the dire drought facing parts of East Africa. Screening with “11 Degrees,” about the struggle of a Scottish ski resort to adapt to climate change and a decrease in skiers.

- April 3, 6 p.m.: “Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us?” About the disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the hive. Afterward, Peter Crane, dean of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, will discuss the film with the director Taggart Siegel and Nancy Moran, a bee expert and a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale. The short film, “Transition Town Totnes,” will be shown.

MADD event to be held in memory of Leah Hall in Hamden

HAMDEN — Skate for Leah, the 10th annual MADD event held in memory of Leah Hall, killed by a drunken driver in 1995, will be held 6-9 p.m. Saturday.


The cost is $5.

The event will be held at the Louis Astorino Ice Arena, 595 Mix Ave.

For information, call Carole Cohen at MADD at 203-764-2566.




Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Connecticut libraries to take 'snapshot'

Here's why

On April 13, libraries all over Connecticut will take a “snapshot,” collecting information to capture the impact that Connecticut libraries have on their communities on a typical day.


This is the second Snapshot Day, sponsored by the Connecticut Library Association, the Connecticut State Library, and the Connecticut Library Consortium, according to a statement.

Last year, on Connecticut’s first Snapshot Day: more than 80,600 people visited Connecticut libraries; people borrowed nearly 100,000 books, DVDs and other materials; close to 13,000 people used computers at their library; nearly 10,000 people attended a program or class at a library; and 113,000 people visited Connecticut library websites, the statement said.

On April 13, organizers hope once again to capture a slice of life of Connecticut’s libraries. There will be a chance for patrons to comment on what their library means to them, and pictures from libraries all over the state will be available on the Snapshot Flickr page. Visit the Snapshot website, http://snapshotctlib.wordpress.com/ to find out more about this project,  the statement said.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

Kitchen tours coming up to benefit Gateway in New Haven

NEW HAVEN  — The Gateway Community College Foundation will hold two fundraising events on April 3, "an afternoon tour of five must-see kitchens in greater New Haven and an evening tapas reception with renowned cookbook author Jane Stern," according to a statement.

Net proceeds from the events will go toward supporting the needs of GCC students, the statement said.

Read more about the tour here.

The Kitchen Tour is from 12 to 5 p.m. and includes a local personality accompanying participants on a coach bus that will take them to each site, where they will learn facts about the kitchen, enjoy a beverage or local food treat, the statement said.
Each participant will also receive a program book with information about the kitchens, delicious recipes from well-known area chefs and culinary trivia,  the statement said. Tickets are $65 per person.

The Tapas Reception will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Delia’s, the Viking Center, 4 Laser Road, Wallingford. It will feature Jane Stern, co-author of dozens of cookbooks and best known for her “Roadfood” series and “Roadfood” column in Gourmet magazine,  the statement said.
Stern will be on hand to sign copies of her book “Two for the Road,” which will be given out free to each guest attending the reception,  the statement said.
TV journalist and author Diane Smith will emcee the event, which includes a silent auction and tapas prepared by well-respected chefs, including Arturo Franco Camacho of Suburban in Branford, Daniel Chong Jimenez of Norwich Inn & Spa in Norwich, Manuel Romero of Ibiza in New Haven and Jean Pierre Vuillermet of Union League Café in New Haven,  the statement said.
Tickets are $85 per person.


Combination tour and reception tickets are $135 per person. To make a reservation for either or both events, contact Susan Swirsky at 203-285-2617 or sswirsky@gwcc.commnet.edu.

Editor's note: All information in this poast was contributed.

New Haven Peace Commission to hold hearing on military spending

A hearing sponsored by the New Haven Peace Commission on the impact the federal budget makes on the city will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Wilbur Cross High School Library, 181 Mitchell Drive.
Chris Hellman of the National Priorities Project will speak about "how the money spent on wars and weapons could better be utilized," organizers said in a statement. 
Resident testimony of how budget cuts have affected their organizations and them personally will be heard, the statement said.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Sponsored by the Peace Commission. For more information, call (203)387-0370.

Also, a consortium of local community organizations is engaging in a series of protests and vigils through April 15 to "emphasize that the federal, state, and municipal budgets cannot be balanced on the backs of the poor and low to middle class workers," also sponsored by the Peace Commission.
A calendar with the most up-to-date schedule information can be found here
For information, call Henry at (203)389-9547, or e-mail grnhpeacecouncil@gmail.com/'

 




Friday, March 18, 2011

“First Lady of the Organ” in concert at Yale for SCSU

NEW HAVEN — Southern Connecticut State University will present a concert by the “First Lady of the Organ” Diane Bish at 7 p.m. April 9 at Yale University’s Battell Chapel.


Bish will perform organ favorites and original hymn arrangements with a choir of local vocalists, including members of the Heritage Chorale and other area groups, organizers said in a statement.

Bish performs at famed cathedrals, concert halls and churches around the world, the statement said. For 25 years, she has aired her performances to over 300 million people internationally on her television program, The Joy of Music, the statement said. Bish was the first American woman to record on the four organs of Freiburg Cathedral, Germany, the statement said.

In 1989, Bish was awarded the National Citation by the National Federation of Music Clubs of America, the Federation’s highest honor. She is known as the “First Lady of the Organ” because of her unparalleled achievements, the statement said. Bish’s book, Church Music Explosion, describes her personal philosophy of excellence in church music. She has numerous recordings and is also a composer and conductor.

Tickets are $35, $20 and $5 for students. Group packages are available. For tickets or more information, call the Lyman Center box office at (203) 392-6154 or visit tickets.southernct.edu.

A premium package is also available for $100 and includes a special private reception with Bish on April 8 at SCSU, a photo opportunity, an autographed copy of her CD On Tour, and premium seating at the April 9 concert, the statement said. Call (203) 392-5598 for details.

All proceeds from the event will support arts programs at SCSU.

Travel to Italy

And this trip is free!

WALLINGFORD — The Wallingford Public Library will welcome travel professional Ashley Turney at 7 p.m. March 30 for the program “Italy, A Cultural Journey.”


The free program covers the history, geography and culture of Italy’s 20 regions, including the islands of Sardinia and Sicily.

Turney has spent more than 15 years living, working and studying in Italy.

Contact the library to reserve a seat at 203-265-6754 or at http://www.wallingford.lioninc.org/.

Also, the library will present “Mystery Alla Italiana,” a four-part book discussion with an Italian theme beginning at 3:30 p.m. April 5 with a discussion of Iain Pear’s, “The Raphael Affair.”

“The Marshal and the Madwoman,” by Magdalen Nabb, is April 26; “Back to Bologna,” by Michael Dibdin, is May 10; “Death at La Fenice,” by Donna Leon is May 24.

The books are available from the library’s information desk. Discussions will be led by Carole B. Shmurak, professor emeritus of Central Connecticut State University.

For more information, contact the library information desk at 203-265-6754 or at http://www.wallingford.lioninc.org/.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

Bowling to benefit victims of the tsunami

HAMDEN - Perspective TV will raise money for the victims of the Japan tsunami this Sunday, March 20 at Johnson Duckpin Lanes 2100 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden.


The Fundraiser will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Adults and children are invited to attend.

Come enjoy a fun night of glow and bowl while helping to raise money for a country that needs our help, organizers said.

The cost is $10 for each person per hour of bowling time. Groups 10 or more must register by email: producer@perspectiveshow.com

Proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross, http://www.redcross.org/

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

'Adventures in Taxidermy' in New Haven

Yes, it is an art form

NEW HAVEN - Author Melissa Milgrom will tell the story of "her adventures in the world of preparing the skins of dead animals for display," in an event that begins at 5:30 p.m. March 24 at Yale Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Ave.

Milgrom, shown below, will explain "how this misunderstood art form, once used for royal Cabinets of Curiosities, has evolved at places like the Peabody and the American Museum of Natural History where dioramas by expert explorer–taxidermists are nature’s time capsules," according to a statement.
 
A book signing will follow the talk.

There is no admission charge for the program. For more about the museum, click here.

The program is part of Nature's Narrators: The 2010–2011 John H. Ostrom Program Series, the statement said.

Yale Law School and Yale University Bands in concert April 3

NEW HAVEN  – The Yale Law School and Yale University Bands will present the Fourth Annual Stan Wheeler Memorial Jazz Concert at 2 p.m. April 3 at the Levinson Auditorium, Yale Law School, 127 Wall St.
The concert will feature the Yale Jazz Ensemble, Thomas C. Duffy, music director, and the Reunion Jazz Ensemble, according to a statement.
Reunion is a group of Yale Jazz Ensemble alumni who, with late Yale Law School Professor and trumpeter Stanton Wheeler, were early members of the YJE in the 1970s, the statement said. Wheeler played with the Yale Jazz Ensemble until his death in 2007, and this is the fourth annual concert dedicated to his memory, the statement said.

Reunion members include well-known jazz artists Brad Dechter (alto sax), Paul Lieberman (tenor sax), Gary Bennett (bari sax), Steve Perrett (trumpet), Tony Lombardozzi (guitar), Jeff Fuller (bass), Paul Sullivan (piano) and Jesse Hameen II (drums).
The Yale Jazz Ensemble is a seventeen-piece big band that performs a wide variety of music, from Yale’s Benny Goodman archive to the newest and most progressive jazz compositions, the statement said.
There is no charge for admission is free and no tickets are required.
Call (203) 432-4113 or visit www.yale.edu/yaleband for more information.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Fall into a Black Hole

Learn what it might feel like anyway

A special day focusing on black holes and that features games, crafts and activities that explore what a black hole is, how it forms and even what would happen if you fell into a black hole will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26 Yale Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Ave.

At 11 a.m., Betty Baisden will present the Roxi Fox puppet show Roxi’s Black Hole Blast-off, helping kids understand what we know about these powerful objects, according to a news release.

The exhibition "Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists," offers 13 interactive stations to further explore these mysterious objects, the release said.

Museum admission is $5 to $9.






In the top photo: Artist’s rendering of the death of a star as it is sucked in by a black hole. Credit: Denver Museum of Nature & Science



In the lower photo: GRO J1655-40 is the second so-called “microquasar” discovered in our galaxy. Microquasars are black holes of about the same mass as a star. Credit: NASA

T. Boone Pickens to speak at Yale

NEW HAVEN - Texas "oilman-turned-environmentalist" T. Boone Pickens will deliver the Gordon Grand lecture at 4 p.m. March 24 in Yale Law School’s Levinson Auditorium, 127 Wall St., according to a press release.


Titled “Solving America’s Energy Crisis,” the lecture is free and open to the public, the release said.

"Dubbed 'the Oracle of Oil' by CNBC for his ability to accurately predict oil prices, Pickens has spent the last three years lobbying for a comprehensive plan to reduce American dependence on foreign oil," the release said.
"The “Pickens Plan” calls for switching to natural gas for transportation fuels and investing in renewable energy sources such as wind farms and solar energy. Pickens, who is founder and chair of BP Capital Management, also authored a best-selling autobiography, “The First Billion Is the Hardest.” He is a frequent guest on some of the nation’s most-watched business programs."

For more on this program, visit here.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Rotary Club of New Haven joins in parade day fundraiser to promote literacy

NEW HAVEN  – For the seventh year in a row, LAZ Parking and the Rotary Club of New Haven will join in a Saint Patrick’s Day Parade promotion designed to “earn some green” to promote literacy in New Haven schools, organizers said.


As part of the promotion, parade attendess who park in LAZ’s garages at 80 George St., (near the Knights of Columbus headquarters) or 150 York St. (near the intersection with Chapel Street) will have a portion of their fees, equal to about 50 percent of the net profits, donated to the Rotary Club’s Dictionary Project, which is designed to provide every third grader in the New Haven public school system with a dictionary, organizers said in a statement.
"Both garages are very accessible to the parade route, which is on Chapel Street and then on Church Street."

“We are extremely pleased that LAZ Parking is joining us again in this effort to ensure that every third grader in a New Haven public school has a dictionary they can call their own,” said Sharon Sudusky, president of the Rotary Club of New Haven, in the statement. “We found out last year that the children really appreciated receiving this gift and looking up the spelling and meaning of words they learned in their schoolwork. Indeed, in some cases, we discovered that the dictionary was the first book the child had ever owned.”

New Haven public school students to participate in St. Pat's parade

More than 500 New Haven public school students in 11 bands will march in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade Sunday, the district said in a release.

The students are in third to twelfth grade.

“I’m proud that our school bands will play big role in one of New Haven’s and the state’s premier events,” Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo said in a statement.
“Our students and staff have worked hard to prepare for the parade, and I’m sure they will make the New Haven schools proud. Their participation is a tribute to our music programs.”

Click here for more about the parade Sunday

Schools with bands in the parade are: James Hillhouse High School; Wilbur Cross High School; Clemente Leadership Academy; King-Robinson International Baccalaureate School. L.W. Beecher Museum School of Arts & Sciences and Ross Woodward Classical Studies School will march as one band, the statement said.

Also marching are: Augusta Lewis Troup School; Edgewood School; John S. Martinez School; Mauro-Sheridan Science, Technology and Communications School; Davis Street School and Betsy Ross Arts School, the statement said.

IN MEMORIAM: Dr. David Seligson, 1916–2011

This obituary was provided by the Yale University Office of Public Affairs.

David Seligson, M.D., Sc.D., professor emeritus of laboratory medicine, died on March 3, 2011.

Born in Philadelphia on August 12, 1916, Dr. Seligson (shown with his nephew, Alex Epstein, in 2009) was the founding chair and chief of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and Yale-New Haven Hospital.

The discipline of clinical chemistry and the broader field of laboratory medicine, as they are practiced today, are in no small part a result of Dr. Seligson's vision and creativity. Recruited to Yale and Grace-New Haven Hospital in 1958 from the University of Pennsylvania as professor of internal medicine at the medical school and the first director of clinical laboratories at the hospital, Dr. Seligson subsequently established the infrastructure of the Department of Laboratory Medicine, creating divisions of clinical chemistry, microbiology, transfusion medicine (blood banking), and hematology, each with its own strong clinical, teaching, and research programs.

Dr. Seligson established one of the nation's first laboratory medicine- or clinical pathology-focused residency training programs and developed a teaching curriculum in laboratory medicine for medical students. In so doing, he created a model for the modern practice of laboratory medicine in an academic environment, and his trainees spread throughout the country as leaders in the field. Laboratory Medicine achieved autonomous section status at Yale under his leadership in 1965 and became a full-fledged department in 1971.

Building on these early accomplishments, he went on to found the major academic society in the discipline in 1966, the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists, along with Jon Straumfjord (University of Alabama, Birmingham), George Z. Williams (National Institutes of Health), Ernest Cotlove (NIH), Ellis Benson (University of Minnesota), Gerald Evans (University of Minnesota) and Paul Strandjord (University of Washington).

Dr. Seligson was what might be called a prudent risk-taker. Carefully thought-out, innovative concepts were pursued to completion even when they challenged prevailing opinion. This intellectual courage and tenacity were responsible for many of his seminal contributions to the field of clinical chemistry. Recognizing the growing and almost insatiable need for clinical laboratory data in the modern practice of medicine, Dr. Seligson pioneered the use of automation in the clinical laboratory.

The "Seligson Pipette," which enabled early automation at Yale, was, in modified form, incorporated into many modern instruments used in clinical laboratories. In the 1960s, virtually all automated instruments were based upon what was called "continuous flow" technology, and it was thought that this would be the state of the art forever. One sample followed another through a continuous plastic tube, each sample separated from the next by a bubble.

Challenging this approach, Dr. Seligson designed, built and validated "discrete sample handling" instruments wherein each sample was treated independently, which allowed better choice of methods and greater efficiency.

Today, continuous flow has essentially disappeared and virtually all modern automated clinical laboratory instruments are based upon discrete sample handling technology.

Dr. Seligson was one of the early visionaries who recognized the potential for computers in the clinical laboratory. One of the first applications of a digital computer in the clinical laboratory occurred in Dr. Seligson's department at Yale, and shortly thereafter data were being transmitted directly from the laboratory computer to data stations on the patient wards. Now, of course, such laboratory information systems represent the standard of care.

Dr. Seligson was also among the first to highlight the clinical importance of test specificity and accuracy, as compared to simple reproducibility. One of his favorite slides was one that showed almost perfectly reproducible results for 10 successive measurements of blood sugar obtained with what was then the most widely used and popular analytical instrument. However, the answer was wrong; the assay was not accurate. Throughout his career Dr. Seligson insisted that only assays capable of producing absolutely accurate results were suitable for patient care and acceptable for use in the Yale laboratory.

With his colleague Fred Zettner, Dr. Seligson was also the first to bring atomic absorption spectrophotometry into the clinical arena, opening the way to understanding the metabolic role of calcium in normal physiology and disease.

Dr. Seligson retired as chairman of the department in 1984, becoming emeritus professor, but by no means retired from his lifelong work in the discipline. He also continued his great passion for sailing.

Dr. Seligson pursued the "science" of sailing with the same intensity and striving for perfection that characterized his professional life. Indeed, he won over 100 trophies and as recently as last summer, at the age of 93, he won two sailing races in Long Island Sound on his boat, Leda.

His beloved wife, Harriet, who, as a chemist in the clinical laboratories was known as someone who could make any procedure work, no matter how complicated, and who sailed and cruised with him all over the Eastern United States, predeceased him in 1996.

Dr. Seligson is survived by his three children: Judith Seligson (married to Allan Greenberg) of Alexandria, Va., and New York City and their daughter, Hannah; Ruth Epstein (married to David Epstein) of Chevy Chase, Md., and their children, Alex, Elizabeth, Marianne and Katherine; and Daniel Seligson (married to Margaret Epstein) of Palo Alto, Calif., and their children Rachel, Matthew and Anna; and by his brother Sidney Seligson of Phoenix, Ariz. His funeral took place March 6 at the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale.

Memorial contributions may be made to Yale Hillel, c/o the Slifka Center, 80 Wall Street, New Haven, CT 06511 and directed to the David and Harriet Seligson Fund.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Oakwood University Aeolians to perform

HAMDEN - The world renowned Oakwood University Aeolians will perform at 7 p.m. Friday at the Mount Zion Seventh Day Adventist Church, 64 Marlboro St.
The purpose of the concert is to develop an educational scholarship fund and to expose students to various types of music, said Tamara Nathan-O, education director. The Aeolians will perform music from the Baroque era to the 20th century.
The education, home and school and music departments of the church are sponsoring the program.
The Aeolians come from Huntsville, Ala. and perform under the leadership of Maestro Jason Max Ferdinand.
They have appeared on Good Morning American, the CBS Morning Show, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and throughout the Caribbean, Poland, Romania and Great Britain.
Patron levels from $50 to over $150 are still available by calling Nathan-O at 203-535-9863.
There will be a reception immediately following the performance.

'Dancing Under the Stars' at the Omni for a good cause

The place to be Friday night is the Omni New Haven Hotal at Yale, where celebrity and professional dancers will be raising money for the Ronald McDonald House.
"Dancing Under the Stars" kicks off with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 7:30 p.m. with a cast of local celebrities who will be paired with professional ballroom dancers from "Dance in Rhythm" of Branford.
The Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut in conjunction with Kids for Kids, Dancing for Life!, Inc. is presenting the event.
Tickets are $75 a person and can be obtained through Cathy Bignolas at the Ronald McDonald House, 203-777-5683.
The celebrity dancers are: Lisa DeLeo-Kelly, the owner of "Simple Couture," a formal dress shop in North Haven; North Haven dentist Stuart Lazaroff; Victor Palma, the director of field operations for the North Haven Public Works Department; North Haven community activist and owner and founder of GIRLTOWER LLC, Theresa Ranciato-Viele; state Rep. David Yaccarino, R-North Haven, the owner of DJ’s Sports Collectibles and Comics, and Tom Prete of North Haven, the owner of the Dancer’s Shop and executive director of the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Pageant. Also dancing are Patti Scussel of East Haven, the executive director of the Greater New Haven Leadership Center with the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, and News 8’s Sara Welch.
Awards will be presented in several categories by the celebrity judges: dancer and costume designer Kim Hunter; WEBE 108’s Danny Lyons; News 8’s Jocelyn Maminta; Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce President Anthony Rescigno of North Haven and Kathryn Spero, a founding member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts.
News 8’s Gil Simmons is the emcee.
The black tie optional event is being sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Bridgeport Hospital.

Tour going to Sister City of Hue, Vietnam

The New Haven-Hue, Vietnam, City Committee of New Haven Sister Cities plans a 16-day tour to Hue and is inviting members of the New Haven community to join.

The tour, April 26-May 12, costs $3,150, including international and in-country air, hotels, most meals, an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay, and entry to many of the major sites in Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City, with the final three days spent visiting Angkor Wat, Cambodia. The tour will be limited to about 12 people.

The group will spend more than two days in Hue, considered the cultural capital of Vietnam, during the traditional craft and culinary festival, joined by city representatives.

For more information, call Barbara Lamb, president of New Haven Sister Cities and director of New Haven’s Department of Cultural Affairs at 203-946-8378 or download the tour brochure from the Sister Cities tour website.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Baroque is back in a big way

And you can be part of it

The Pequot Library will present an early music concert  featuring the Sebastian Chamber Players at 4 p.m. March 20.
The event follows a successful concert by the group Rebel from New York, an event held in partnership with the Westport Arts Center, according to a statement.

"The Sebastian Chamber Players perform in historically inspired styles on period instruments, specializing in music before 1750," the statement said.
"Since its founding in 2001, the ensemble has performed throughout the United States, and was recently named the artists-in-residence at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester. The group is comprised of members who have studied at the Historical Performance Program at the Juilliard School and as post-graduate fellows in early music at Yale University."
The ensemble also is a finalist of the 2011 York International Early Music Competition, the statement said.
At the event, works works by well known composers of the Baroque such as Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Handel, as well as introducing the audience to works by lesser known gifted composers such as Zelenka, Pfeiffer, and Duphly will be performed, the statement said.
Extensive program notes written by Larry Erdmann will add background and context to the music. Erdmann played a role in the revival of interest in early music through his work in reproducing harpsichords in the 1970s, the statement said.
Pequot Library Director, Dan Snydacker studied harpsichord and early music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and owned an instrument built by the shop for which Erdmann worked. Both Snydacker and Erdmann will lend one of their harpsichords to the concert, the statement said. One is shown in the attached photo.
Snydacker is very enthusiastic about this new early music initiative, the statement said.
“The smaller scale ensembles required by this music are a perfect fit in Pequot Library’s auditorium,” he said. “There is an intimacy to these concerts that make them very special. So much of the music from this period is based on popular dances that can be best enjoyed in a room like Pequot’s auditorium rather than in the large, formal concert halls in New York or Boston.”

Tickets for each of these concerts are $10 for adult members of the Pequot Library Association and $20 for non-members. Student tickets are $10. Visit http://www.pequotlibrary.org/ for more information about the concerts, the full program for each event and to purchase tickets.
For more information or to purchase tickets by phone, call 203-259-0346 ext. 15.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.



'Celebrating the art of the essay' in New Haven

The New Haven Public Library will hold the 5th annual Evening with Anne Fadiman and her Students, celebrating the art of the essay, from 6 to 7 p.m. March 31.

Fadiman has been Yale's Francis Writer-in-Residence since 2005, according to a library statement.
"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down," her "account of a Hmong family's interactions with the American medical system, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction," the statement said. She is also the author of two essay collections, Ex Libris and At Large and At Small.
Fadiman will read from her work-in-progress "about the doomed relationship between Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his son Hartley," the statement said.
She has invited three of her most promising writing students to share their profiles of individuals whom they have encountered, including a sculptor, a typewriter repairman, and a driving instructor, the statement said. The students include Riley Scripps Ford, a fiction writer and a columnist for the Yale Daily News; Zara Kessler, co-editor of the Yale Daily News Magazine; and Peter Lu, columnist for the Yale Daily News.

The program will be held at the downtown library, 133 Elm St.; free parking is available. For information visit http://www.fadiman2011.eventbrite.com/ or call the library at 203-946-8835.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Find out how to handle boating medical emergencies

OLD LYME — A free program on what to do in boating medical emergencies will be presented at 1:30 p.m. March 13 at the Lymes’ Senior Center.

It will be led by Joel Demers, founder of Valley Shore Emergency Medical Services, and Tom Brown, EMT and master pilot boat captain.

For details, call Paul Forest, 860-767-2420 or e-mail pforest@usa.net.


Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Irish movie festival celebrates New Haven

NEW HAVEN  —The New Haven Museum will present its second annual Irish movie festival, featuring movies about love and marriage, Irish style, to celebrate the large Irish immigrant population that settled in the city in the 19th century, according to a statement.


March 9: “Once,” a modern musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.

March 16: “The Matchmaker,” an unlikely love story that develops when election campaigner Marcy Tizard arrives in Ballinagra, Ireland, to track down the ancestral roots of U.S. Sen. John McGlory, but arrives in the middle of a sleepy village’s annual matchmaking festival.

With a $10 contribution to the museum, visitors will receive admission to the movie as well as two complimentary beers and snacks. A delicious door prize will also be available: Irish soda bread from Chestnut Fine Foods. Visitors can also enter a raffle for prizes such as gift cards to Wicked Wolf Tavern and Christy’s Irish Pub downtown, the statement said.

The New Haven Museum is at 114 Whitney Ave.
For more information, contact Michelle Cheng, director of education at 203-562-4183, ext. 11 or education@newhavenmuseum.org







Caregiver's bootcamp at the New Haven Public Library

New and prospective caregivers are invited to learn about the legal and procedural issues that are likely to occur in taking care of elderly and/or disabled loved ones at a seminar from 6 to 7 p.m. May. 11 at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

According to a press release, Connecticut attorney Julia Merkt will explore

· Advocacy in residential, long term care and medical settings
· Arranging for and monitoring home care services
· Assisting with relocation and evaluation of benefits available
· Coordination of medical care
· Transportation and concierge services
· Financial matters, including Medicare and Medicaid
· Conservatorship and power of attorney

Merkt is nationally recognized in the field of elder law and received the highest competency and ethics rating through Martindale-Hubble's peer review process, the release said.
A member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys since 1992, she is affiliated with the Connecticut Bar Association’s Elder Law Section, the release said.
She is a member of the East Rock Village Association, an organization committed to the concept of supporting residents in aging at home and is involved in efforts to help the disabled achieve maximum independence in life, the release said.



There is no charge for this seminar, and free parking is available. Please register at www.caregiversmay11.eventbrite.com or call the library at 203-946-8835.

Marrakech, Inc. fundraiser coming up

NEW HAVEN — Marrakech, Inc. will hold its 7th Annual Wine & Beer Tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. March 11 at Leon’s Restaurant, 501 Long Wharf.

Read more about Marrakech here


The event will include a variety of wine and beer and food by Leon’s.
Tickets are $45 per person, but $35 per person for groups of four or more, organizers said.

There will be raffle items from participating local businesses. The event is open to the public, but attendees must be 21 or older, organizers said.

Reserve tickets by credit card over the phone at (203) 389-2970 ex. 1060 or ex. 1030, or by mailing a check with all attendees names to: Development Office, Marrakech, Inc., Six Lunar Drive, Woodbridge, 06525.


Nick Bellantoni to share ‘Deeply Human’ archaeology stories

  : Albert Afraid of Hawk, 1899, Heyn Photographer (Courtesy Library of Congress NEW HAVEN — While Nick Bellantoni ,  emeritus   Co...