Irish famine collection housed by Quinnipiac University

HAMDEN — Quinnipiac University offers one of the most comprehensive collections of materials on Ireland’s Great Hunger, or An Gorta Mor, in the world.
Between 1845 and 1850, about 1.5 million Irish men, women and children died of starvation or related diseases as a result of one of the century’s worst famine disasters. By 1855, more than 2 million people had emigrated from Ireland, fleeing the famine.
The university encourages the community to visit its collection, which includes traditional and digital books, original hand-written records, images and artwork housed in the Lender Special Collection Room in the Arnold Bernhard Library.
The public can tour the collection Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday from 12-8 p.m.
Anyone interested in the collection for scholarly or research purposes is asked to schedule an appointment with Charles Getchell, director of the Arnold Bernhard Library, at 203-582-8631 or via e-mail at charles.getchell@quinnipiac.edu.
Additional resources are available online at www.thegreathunger.org.

New Haven Land Trust Annual Meeting is Sunday

NEW HAVEN — The New Haven Land Trust will hold its Annual Meeting at 1 p.m. Sunday 1:00 p.m. in the auditorium at Kroon Hall, now the home of Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, at 195 Prospect St.
At 1:15 p.m., there will be a panel led discussion on volunteerism in the community and how it enriches the city and the lives of volunteers. It will include an open dialogue with the audience to hear about experiences, get new ideas, answer questions and build more community, organizers said.
The three panelists are Alderman Justin Elicker, D-10; Joel Tolman, director of development and community engagement at Common Ground High School; and Johnny Scafidi, program director at Dwight Hall of Yale University, organizers said.

Awards announced for St. Patrick's Day Parade

NEW HAVEN — The Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee on Monday released the list of groups and people who won the 2010 awards.
The are: Grand Marshal’s Award, Knights of St. Patrick; Parade Queen, Lindsey Stamp; Honor Attendant, Kristina Conroy; Best Exemplified Spirit of Parade, Connecticut Blues Senior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps; Best Irish Organization, 1st, Knights of St. Patrick and 2nd, New Haven Gaelic Football & Hurling Club; Most Original Entry, 501st Connecticut Garrison; Outstanding Youth Group, James Hillhouse High School JROTC & Color Guard; Best Walking Unit, 1st, Pioneers of the Sacred Heart and 2nd, Celtic Learning Project; Best Community Unit, New Haven “Old Black” Rugby; Best Float, Urban Resources Initiative - Community Greenspace/Grennskills; Best Fire, 1st, New Haven Firefighters Local 825, 2nd, Charters Hose Co. #4 Vol. Fire Department of Ansonia and 3rd, East Haven Firefighters Local 1205; Best Police, 1st, New Haven Police Department Emerald Society Honor Guard, 2nd, West Haven Police Honor Guard and 3rd, Southern Connecticut State University Police Department Honor Color Guard
Also, Best Appearance Military, 1st: U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Edson Division of New Haven, 2nd, U.S. Coast Guard Color Guard - Sector LI Sound; Best Middle School, 1st, King/Robinson Inter-District Magnet School Marching Jaguar Band and 2nd, Mauro-Sheridan Interdistrict Magnet School Band; Best Color Guard, 1st, Kentish Guards, Rhode Island Militia and 2nd, St. Peter’s Drum Corps; Best High School, 1st, Bristol Eastern High School Band and 2nd, West Haven High School Band; Best Catholic School, 1st, St. Francis/St. Rose of Lima School and 2nd, St. Aedan St. Brendan Parochial School; Best Fife & Drum, 1st, Stony Creek Fife & Drum Corps, 2nd, Deep River Sr. Fife & Drum Corps, and 3rd, Moodus Drum and Fife.
Also, Best Pipe Band, 1st, Manchester Regional Police & Fire Pipe Band and 2nd, Police Pipes & Drums of Waterbury; Best Drum & Bugle, 1st, Connecticut Hurricanes Sr. Drum & Bugle Corps and 2nd, Connecticut Alumni Sr. Drum & Bugle Corps; Best Reenactment, 1st, 27th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and 2nd
, 8th Regiment Company A Connecticut Volunteers.

New troupe holding auditions

The Performing Arts Collaborative, LLC will hold auditions for the Soundlings, a new performance troupe of 20 versatile singers to launch the 2010 season.
Shows include "Forbidden Broadway," "Smokey Joe's Cafe," "Jacques Brel" and Richard O'Brien's "Rocky Horror Show."
Auditions will be held from March 18 through March 23 by appointment only.
Email auditions@pacshows.com for an appointment.
Auditions are held in New Haven at The Golden Center at Yale at 268 Park St.
Visit www.pacshows.com for more information. Non-equity. Paid and unpaid positions.

This much is true: Wally Lamb to speak at GCC

Lamb to speak at GCC March 30

NEW HAVEN — New York Times best-selling author Wally Lamb will speak from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 30 at Gateway Community College, Room 160, 60 Sargent Drive.
The event is presented by The Esther Haseltine Schiavone Endowment Fund, which supports GCC events that focus on the arts, the college said in a statement.
Lamb is the author of three New York Times best-selling novels — “The Hour I First Believed,” “I Know This Much is True,” and “She’s Come Undone” — of which two were Oprah’s Book Club selections, the statement said.
Lamb edited “Couldn’t Keep It to Myself” and “I’ll Fly Away,” two volumes of essays from students in his writing workshop at York Correctional Institution, a women’s prison in Niantic, where he has been a volunteer facilitator for 10 years, the statement said.
Lamb was in the ninth year of his 25-year career as a high school English teacher at his alma mater, the Norwich Free Academy, when he began to write fiction in 1981. He has also taught writing at the University of Connecticut, where he directed the English Department’s creative writing program. Lamb lives in Connecticut with his wife, Christine. The Lambs have of three sons.
The Esther Haseltine Schiavone Endowment Fund was established in 2006 through the Gateway Community College Foundation by Schiavone’s daughter Jennifer Schiavone Spinach. Spinach set up the endowment in her mother’s memory to help the programs put on at GCC by her longtime friend and author GCC Professor Franz Douskey.
In addition to bringing Lamb to speak on March 30, Douskey has brought a host of musicians and writers to the college over the past 20 years, including Arthur Miller, Malcom Cowley, Amiria Barak, The Mitchell Ruff Duo, Honi Coles, Connecticut Poet Laureates Leo Connellan and Marilyn Nelson, Dick Allen, William Packard and vocalist Giacomo Gates, the statement said.

Editor's note: the information in this post was provided by Gateway Community College. It is lightly edited here.

Knights of St. Patrick dinner

NEW HAVEN – The Knights of St. Patrick, one of the country’s oldest Irish-American organizations, will hold its 132nd Annual Dinner on March 17, at the Union League Café, 1032 Chapel St.
The black-tie event features guest speaker Rusty Sullivan, executive director of the Sports Museum of New England and an acclaimed author of several books, including the definitive biography of undefeated heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano.
The event is open to club members and their guests. For more information, call the club at 789-9535.

What a Day it will be

Doris Day Tribute at the New Haven Public Library April 10

NEW HAVEN - Pierre Patrick of New Haven, a Grammy nominee and a longtime fan and friend of Doris Day, will act as host for a Doris Day Tribute at 10 a.m. April 10 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

In addition to co-authoring two books about Day, Patrick has helped make several documentaries about the iconic American star, organizers said in a statement.
Patrick will be the host for all-day festivities, with special short documentaries and commentary by him.
The first feature film screening is at 11 a.m., with "Love me or Leave Me" (1955), starring Day as singing great Ruth Etting and costarring James Cagney and Cameron Mitchell. The second feature screens at 2 p.m.: "Pillow Talk" (1959), which was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2010, and stars Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter.

Copies of Patrick’s book, "The Doris Day Companion: A Beautiful Day," will be available for sale and signing. There is no charge for the special event.
For more information visit www.dorisdaytribute.eventbrite.com or call the library at 203-946-8835.

Editor's note: the information in this post was provided in full by the New Haven Public Library. It is lightly edited here.

Junior League seeking high school award nominees

NEW HAVEN — The Junior League of Greater New Haven is seeking applicants for its annual High School Voluntarism Award.
The award recognizes up to two female high school seniors in Greater New Haven who "exemplify a demonstrated commitment to the community and who plan to attend an accredited college, university or vocational school," organizers said in a statement.
Two awards for $1,500 each are distributed each year through a contribution from Yale University and the Junior League of Greater New Haven, the statement said.
Applicants must be nominated by either a community organization, school official or a member of the JLGNH.
A minimum of a C (2.0) grade point average is required, and the award is not based on financial need.
In addition to a completed application, applicants must submit a written essay and two letters of recommendation, one from their nominator and one from another adult supervisor.
Applications must be received by April 27.
Chosen recipients will be notified in writing by May 7. Applications are available by contacting the JLGNH at 203-562-5076, via e-mail: jlgnhscholarship@yahoo.com, ord at www.jlgnh.org.

Talking books in New Haven

NEW HAVEN - The Elm Street Book Group's selection for its March 17 session is "The Art of Racing in the Rain," by Garth Stein.
The group meets at 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.
Stein's award-winning book is "a moving story told by a dog with great human potential," organizers said in a statement. It is a bestseller. Millie Grenough, author of "Oasis in the Overwhelm," will facilitate the discussion.
The public is always welcome and copies of the book are available at the library. Those who register for the discussion will receive a complimentary coffee or tea from Blue State Coffee, Wall St., New Haven.
There is no charge to participate, and free parking is available. Register at www.artofracing.eventbrite.com or call 203-946-8835.

Breast Cancer Wellness Retreat

NEW HAVEN - The Hospital of Saint Raphael's Women's Center for Breast Health will hold a Breast Cancer Wellness Retreat from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 13, at the hospital's Cronin Auditorium.
The event, presented in partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation - CT
Affiliate and the Looking Forward Program, is dedicated to helping women
living with breast cancer, the hospital said in a statement.
Speakers will discuss mind-body wellness, sexuality, and holistic nutrition for women living with breast cancer. The event is free and breakfast and lunch will be provided. Registration is required: Sign up online at www.srhs.org/breastcancerretreat or call 203 -789-3916.