New Haven police release Halloween safety tips

The New Haven Police Department reminded residents this week that the agency is committed to promoting Halloween safety and released tips that will help folks plan.

 

In addition to the tip sheet posted below (which you can download or print), the department noted that "Beyond the standard information, we are urging folks to be selective when it comes to opening their doors to trick-or-treaters. We’re reminding the public that trick-or-treating is largely a children’s activity and should not continue late into the evening. People need not open their doors to older teenagers – especially in groups and adults who aren’t accompanying children. Do not open your doors for those who are masked but not costumed."
to report suspicious people to police, call 203-946-6316 (in New Haven) or your local Police Department.

NHPD Halloween Safety - 2014

Dia de los Muertos Parade kicks off in New Haven Oct. 31

The immigrant community of New Haven will celebrate the 5th annual Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead Parade, beginning gathering at 5 p.m.  Oct.31 at 26 Mill St., according to a release.

The parade will kick off at 6 p.m. and the party follows at 7:30 pm at Bregamos Community Theater, 492 Blatchley Ave., the release said

This week, the public is invited to put the finishing touches on giant puppets and art for the parade, and organizers also will build the giant altar honoring loved ones who have passed away, the release said. (Location will be 26 Mill Street or Bregamos.)

For more information or to get involved, call John Lugo at 203-606-3484.)

"All are invited to join the immigrant community as they reclaim their culture, march with giant puppets, enjoy traditional foods and Latin music, and remember all of our community members who have passed on to another life, including those who die crossing the border or seeking a better life," the release said. "Bring a photo of a loved one to place on the giant altar."

The event is made possible thanks to volunteers and support by Unidad Latina en Accion, Bregamos Community Theater, and the Department of Arts & Culture of the city of New Haven, the release said.

Quinnipiac University, Lions International offer free services, equipment for patients with low vision

Quinnipiac University and Lions International have "teamed up to offer free services and equipment for patients with low vision," according to a release.

 

The Lions Low Vision Center at Quinnipiac is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays on the North Haven Campus, 370 Bassett Road, the release said

For more information, call 203-582-7703.

 

"Patients at Quinnipiac are met by social work and occupational therapy professors. They are evaluated to see if rehabilitation and the use of adaptive devices – including hand-held and desktop magnifiers, large print clocks and books, special lighting and telephones with large keypads – can help them use their remaining vision and maintain quality of life," the release said. 

“We analyze what adaptations are needed,” Kimberly Hartmann, professor of occupational therapy and director of the Center for Interprofessional Healthcare Education, said, also in the release. “In the future, we may go to the patient’s home, work or school if they are of school age. Low vision is one of the fastest-growing diagnoses in the United States simply because people live longer."

 

The release noted that the patient’s doctor must approve the adaptive equipment, which is funded by the Lions Club. The Quinnipiac professors then show the patients how to use the equipment.

"Low vision is the degree of vision loss that cannot be corrected by eyeglasses, contacts, medicine or surgery. Candidates for the centers must visit an eye-care professional within a month and obtain a prescription for a low-vision evaluation. The Lions review the prescription and filter patients to one of their seven centers in the state." 

 

Editor's note: All information in this post and the photo were contributed and are posted here as a public service. Click one of the buttons below to share it.

Eerie Connecticut—Is it Local Myth or Mystery?

The Fairfield  Public Library invites you to "indulge your Halloween spirit by attending an interesting lecture, "Eerie Connecticut:  Local Myth and Mystery," at 6 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Woods Branch, 1147 Fairfield Woods Drive, according to a release.  

"Robert Nelson will explore the unexplainable and the unbelievable history of the Fairfield Witch Trials; the ghostly 'White Lady' of Monroe; and Dudleytown, the 'most haunted place on Earth!'," the release said.

Nelson earned an MFA in writing from Vermont’s Goddard College "and has created and taught classes at Yale’s English language Institute," the release said.

Advanced registration is required due to the limited space.  All programs at the Fairfield Public
Library are free of charge.  For more information and to register for this event call 203-255-
7308, or visit www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org .  Follow the Fairfield Public Library
on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fairfieldpublib and Facebook: www.facebook.com/fairfieldlibrary.

New documentary on Ireland’s Great Hunger to air at Quinnipiac University

HAMDEN- The documentary, "Ireland’s Great Hunger and the Irish Diaspora," will be premiered from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 10, in the Quinnipiac University Mount Carmel Auditorium in the Center for Communications and Engineering, according to a release shared by the university.

The event is sponsored by Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute at Quinnipiac and is free and open to the public.

"I feel the documentary will help viewers develop a deeper understanding of a major, tragic event in world history," said Rebecca Abbott, who co-produced the documentary, also in the release. "I hope by getting a better understanding of the historical, cultural and political events leading up to and surrounding the Great Hunger, audiences will begin to see how this understanding can give insight into events taking place today."

Abbott, who filmed and edited the documentary, and co-producer Liam O’Brien, are both professors in the department of film, television and media arts, the release said.

"The 50-minute documentary, narrated by actor Gabriel Byrne, explores not just the potato crop failure that led to mass starvation, death and emigration from 1845 to 1852, but the historical, social and political circumstances that made what is misleadingly called the great ‘famine’ almost inevitable," the release said.

"Understanding how the Great Hunger happened can help us see - and perhaps prevent - similar situations that are developing and taking place in the world today," Abbott said, also in the release.

"The mission of the Great Hunger Institute is to promote a scholarly understanding of the Great Hunger," said Christine Kinealy, founding director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute, also in the release. "The production of this documentary reinforces the fact that Quinnipiac University is a world leader in the study of the Great Hunger."

In addition to Kinealy, the documentary features several leading scholars of Irish history, including: Declan Kiberd, University College Dublin and Notre Dame University; Ciaran O’Murchadha, author of "The Great Famine: Ireland’s Agony 1845-1852"; Mike Murphy, University College Cork; and Richard Reid, historian, National Museum of Australia.

Seating is limited. Register here. For more information, call 203-582-8652. 
 

Connecticut DEEP offers tips for state park and forest use

Woodland creatures you might see

The state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection reminds trail users of rules and trail etiquette for Connecticut’s state parks and forests that aim to "make your outdoor experience as safe and enjoyable as possible," according to a release.

 

 

State park and forest recreation areas are open daily between sunrise and sunset, the release said and the following are tips the agency shared:

 

What you can and cannot do on the trails:

Ø  Trails and service, logging and other roads are open to non-motorized, multiple use activities (foot travel, mountain biking, equestrian) unless posted closed.

Ø  Connecticut Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails and the National Park Service Appalachian and New England Trails are limited to hiking except where they overlap a multiple use trail.

Ø  Public roadways in state parks and forests are open to registered motor vehicles (includes registered dirt bikes) and non-motorized multiple uses unless posted closed.

Ø  Effective January 1, 2006, riding an ATV on state or municipal property may result in charges of criminal trespass. (Public Act 05-234) At the current time, Connecticut does NOT have any public areas open to quads. 

Ø  Registered dirt bikes can ride on the motorized trail at Pachaug State Forest or at the Thomaston Dam.

Ø  Trail building and maintenance is illegal unless authorized.  To request permission to put in a new trail contact DEP’s Trails Coordinator at 860-424-3578.  For permission to perform trail maintenance contact the Park Supervisor.

Ø  After it rains, please be aware of fragile areas that should be avoided such as wetlands and steep slopes. For your safety and to prevent erosion and disruption of habitats always avoid travel through streams that have no bridges or stepping stones.

 

The agency also asks that if you see an illegal activities please call the State Environmental Conservation at:  860 424-3333

.

 

Essential for Safe Trail Use: 

Ø  Plan your route!  Trail maps are often found at trail heads and always found on the DEEP website.

Ø  Remain on trails that are blazed.

Ø  Always let others know where you are and when you expect to return. 

Ø  Be aware where hunting is allowed and if hunting season is open.  Wear bright orange for extra protection.

Ø  Cyclists and motorized users yield to pedestrians and equestrians.  Pedestrians yield to equestrians.

Ø  Park in designated areas only.

Ø  Keep your dogs on a leash.

Ø  Respect private property - when you are leaving State Land you may no longer have permission to recreate.

 

  

West Nile virus identified in a New Haven resident

A human case of West Nile virus has been identified in New Haven, and it is among eight cases in Connecticut so far this year, the State Mosquito Management Program announced Wednesday.

Six of the cases are Bridgeport residents, which health officials say is an unusual number for a single community. The other two patients include a Shelton resident and the New Haven resident, according to a press release from the state Department of Public Health.

All eight are adults ranging in age from 30 to 90, the release said. Seven patients were hospitalized and one remains in the hospital.

West Nile-infected mosquitoes have been found in 11 different towns and cities across the state since July 20 and the most recent discovery was in East Haven on Sept. 29.

Although health officials said the risk of being exposed to the disease subsides in October because of colder temperatures killing off most mosquitoes, they urge everyone to wear pants and long-sleeved shirts when outside for long periods of time.

An Afternoon of Celtic Music and Dancing Will Light Up a Fairfield University Stage

FAIRFIELD — Fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy will perform at Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at 3 p.m., Nov.  8, according to a release.

 The afternoon will "include dancing, singing and world-class music-making," the release said.

Tickets are $50, $45 and $40. Fairfield University student tickets are $5. For tickets, visit www.quickcenter.com or call the box office at 203-254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. The performance is sponsored, in part, by The Westport Inn, Madison Mott, WPKN and Moffly Media, the release said.

"MacMaster and Leahy are two of the world’s most celebrated fiddlers, and in their new show 'Visions from Cape Breton and Beyond: A Celtic Family Celebration' they form a power duo fit to excite any audience," the release said. " Audiences become part of the journey, as the fiddlers explore their Irish and Scottish roots as well as highlight the unique talents, influences and stories of their Nova Scotia home. This performance is perfect for the whole family, filled with exhilarating music, dancing and pure fun. "

Celebration of Latino cultures focus of free festival at Peabody Museum

Contributed photo

 

NEW HAVEN - The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History will host “Fiesta Latina,” its 13^th annual celebration of Latin American cultures from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Oct. 10, at 170 Whitney Ave., according to a release.

The event is free and open to the public, the release said. Parking is also free.

 "The Great Hall of Dinosaurs is the stage for music and dance performances throughout the day.  At 11 a.m. Sabrosura, a Latin dance team at Yale, will perform salsa, merengue, bachata and cumbia. At noon Carlos y su Momento Musical will entertain with merengue, salsa and bachata music," the release said.

 

Then, at 1 p.m. "Tarpukuy will perform Peruvian dance. At 1:30 p.m. Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Yale will perform traditional folk dances from several regions of Mexico.  also, at 2 p.m. "the students of Mariachi Academy of Connecticut will perform traditional Mariachi song and dance."

 

"Specimens and artifacts from Latin America and around the world will be on display with an opportunity to meet an archaeologist.  Live creatures found in Latin America will greet visitors too. Fur, Feathers & Beyond will have live birds from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Curious Creatures live animals from noon to 3 p.m."

 

"Latin American games and craft activities will be offered for children as well as face painting and a fossil dig. One activity involves coloring a maraca with the Yale Latino Networking Group.  Another involves decorating a Latin American bird with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut.  Numerous organizations will host additional activities and awareness booths throughout the day."

 

Fiesta Latina is sponsored by UNIVISION, Yale Latino Networking Group, Access Health CT, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and International Association of New Haven, the release said.

 

 

The following is a more detail list of Program Activities:

 

The Great Hall — 1st Floor

Performances

    11:00   Sabrosura — Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Cumbia

    12:00   Carlos y su Momento Musical — Merengue, Salsa, Bachata y Boleros

    1:00     Tarpukuy- Peruvian Art & Culture — Peruvian Dance

    1:30    Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Yale

2:00     Mariachi Academy of Connecticut

Hall of Mammalian Evolution — 1st Floor

Fossil Dig

Color a Maraca with the Yale Latino Networking Group

Latin American Culture Game

Hall of Pacific Cultures — 1st Floor

Vertebrate Zoology Collection — Specimens from Latin America

Mineral Collection — Minerals from Latin America

     Anthropology Collection — Artifacts from Latin America and meet an archaeologist!

 Hall of Native American Cultures — 1st Floor

Fur, Feathers & Beyond — Live birds (11:00 to 3:00)

 

Machu Picchu: An Inca Country Palace — 1st Floor

      Learn about the Taino Culture with Irka Mateo

 

Auditorium — 3rd Floor

      Face Painting

      Photo Booth

 

North American Dioramas — 3rd Floor

North American Diorama SciCarts (12:00 to 4:00)

 

Birds of Connecticut — 3rd Floor

Color a Flag!

Decorate a Latin American Bird with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut

Birds SciCart (12:00 to 4:00)

 

Southern New England Dioramas — 3rd Floor

Curious Creatures — Live Animals (12:00 to 3:00)

 

The following organizations will host Activity Areas on the day of the celebration:

Access Health, Arte Inc., Consulate of Ecuador in Connecticut, Fair Haven Community Health Center, Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Junta for Progressive Action Inc., New Haven Community Hiring Initiatives, New Haven Promise, State of CT DEEP/Kellogg Environmental Center, UNIVISION, Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, Yale Latino Networking Group