Community News for the West Hartford Edition
Jun 12, 2017 | 8:19 AM
West Hartford Student Shares Art
MANCHESTER — Giovanna "Gio" Sgarbi, 14-years-old and an 8th grader at Sedgwick Middle School in West Hartford, participated in Art in the Park on June 4. She is involved with the non-profit Young @Art.
Sgarbi was born in Argentina from Brazilian parents and raised in the U.S. Her mother, Mariana Sgarbi, said her daughter has been drawing with colored pencils since she was 5-years-old. Her first subject was her pet turtle, Rex. When she was eight, she started drawing almost every day, and her favorite subject was her new pet, a Westy she named Cole.
Besides drawing, Sgarbi works with acrylic, pastels, clay, cardboard, and fabric. She has a brother, Cristiano, and lives with her parents in a big house with a studio in the attic, where she spends most of her time when she's not in school.
The Summer Help Screening
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WEST HARTFORD — A film screening of "The Summer Help" will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday June 19, at the Noah Webster Library, 20 South Main St.
For more information on the documentary, visit www.thesummerhelp.com. To sign up for this event, call the reference desk at 860-561-6990. Parking validation will be given at the program.
Dog License Month
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WEST HARTFORD — June is dog license month in town clerk offices throughout the state, and the West Hartford Town Clerk's Office mailed postcard reminders to over 3,000 dog owners.
Town Clerk Essie Labrot says that according to state law, all dogs over six months of age must be registered and receive a dog tag annually. The numbered tag serves as identification for any pet that may wander away from home. The annual cost for dog licenses is $19 for unaltered animals and $8 for neutered or spayed animals.
All dogs must be vaccinated against rabies. If the rabies certificate has expired prior to renewal, please include an updated certificate from the veterinarian in order to register your dog. If a pet is being licensed for the first time and has been neutered/spayed, a certificate from the vet must also be presented.
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Applications for dog licenses may be made through the mail or in person at the Town Clerk's Office, Room 313, Town Hall, 50 South Main St.
WEST HARTFORD — The following letter to the editor was written by Cheryl W. Andrews of West Hartford:
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"As an Aetna shareholder, I would like to express my extreme disappointment with Aetna's Board of Directors who have poorly represented shareholders' interests by not holding Mark Bertolini and his management team accountable for their inept strategic decisions.
Bertolini's response to a poorly executed and failed acquisition which cost Aetna's shareholders more than a billion dollars is to move their corporate headquarters. Aetna should instead be focusing its time and energy on providing more affordable health care programs and improving their customer service skills.
This old fashioned strategy has proven to be successful for many great American companies and would enhance Aetna's shareholder value more than moving its corporate headquarters to an expensive facility which will further negatively impact the bottom line."
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Talk: Landscape Design Bloopers
WEST HARTFORD — The CT Horticultural Society presents Landscape Design Bloopers with C.L. Fornari on Thursday, June 15, at Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Drive.
The evening begins with an ice cream social at 6:30 p.m. The lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. In her talk, Fornari looks at design mistakes that are commonly made by landscapers and home-gardeners alike. By analyzing where things have gone wrong, and sometimes seeing a corrected version through the magic of Photoshop, Fornari clearly demonstrates why some garden designs look better than others.
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A drop-in fee of $10 is collected at the door from non-members. For more information, visit www.cthort.org.
Fork It Over For Foodshare
GLASTONBURY — Max Restaurant Group will host a month-long fundraising effort to support Foodshare in Fork it Over for Foodshare campaign. During the month of June, all Max Restaurant Group locations in Connecticut will offer patrons the opportunity to add a donation to Foodshare when paying their check.
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Participating locations include Max Amore in Glastonbury, Max Burger in West Hartford, Max Downtown in Hartford, Max Fish in Glastonbury, Max a Mia Ristorante in Avon, Max's Oyster Bar in West Hartford, Savoy Pizzeria & Craft Bar in West Hartford and Trumbull Kitchen in Hartford.
Max Restaurant Group has also committed to donating $10 for every $100 raised across all Connecticut restaurant locations throughout the campaign.
Celebration Of CT's Gardens
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HARTFORD — Join the Butler-McCook House and Garden to celebrate Connecticut's blooming gardens and historic green spaces. Visit the Butler-McCook House and Garden, 396 Main St., and walk through the historic Jacob Weidenmann Garden on Sunday, June 25, from noon to 4 pm. Installed by Eliza Butler McCook & her sister Mary in 1865, the garden is lovingly maintained by the West Hartford Garden Club. For this event, garden tours are free; regular admission applies for historic house tour. The garden and lawn are always free and open for the community's enjoyment from dawn until dusk.
For more information, visit www.cthistoricgardens.org.
5K Road Race
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WEST HARTFORD — At 10 a.m. Saturday, June 24, Northwest Catholic High School, 29 Wampanoag Drive, will host its fifth annual Scholarship Scamper 5k Road Race.
The chip-timed event is competitive for serious runners and welcoming for casual runners and walkers. After the race there will be a celebration, including food, beverages, and fun for the whole family. Awards will be given in 19 categories, including Men's Overall Division, Women's Overall Division, and top male and female high school student finishers.
To learn more about the Scholarship Scamper 5k, including how to register, become a sponsor, or volunteer at the event, visit northwestcatholic.org/5KScamper.
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Japan Summer Festival
WEST HARTFORD — The fourth annual Japan Summer Festival is a free, one-day celebration of Japanese culture that will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 17, in Blue Back Square, 65 Memorial Road. The rain date is Sunday, June 18.
The main event at 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. is a powerful drumming performance by Soh Daiko of New York. Shishimai, traditional lion dancing, will open the festival at noon, followed by a greeting from the Consulate General of Japan from Boston at 12:30 p.m.
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Outside at Webster Walk in Blue Back Square, the Japan Summer Festival will have a Chowa Ondo Tanko Bushi Dance, Okinawa Song singing, a Kids Corner with hands-on activities, a karate demonstration, and a Yukata experience where you can try on a traditional Japanese summer robe.
New this year is the Cosplay Contest at 3 p.m. For a $5 entry fee, contestants will show off their hand-made costumes. Cash prizes will be given for craftsmanship, originality and best of show. After the promenade of contestants, everyone can part in the Koisuru Fortune Cookie Dance.
Inside at the West Hartford Library, there will be a traditional tea ceremony from noon to 1 p.m. The demonstration is free.
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At 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the library, a Sumi-e demonstration will be given. Sumi-e is the Japanese word for black ink painting.
At 3 to 4 p.m., Kids Corner activities will also be held indoors at the library meeting room. From 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., attend the free origami workshop at Barnes & Noble.
The Japan Summer Festival has a Japanese marketplace hosted by Maruichi Japanese Food & Deli and Yume Wo Katare Restaurant, information tables hosted by the Japan Society of Greater Hartford and IACE Travel of Boston, and massage therapy by Dr. Hashimoto's Sotaiho and Kooma. Japanese food and beverages will be available for sale.
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For a schedule of events, visit https://goo.gl/itQRWo or contact Mas Hongoh at 860-796-1637 or Renée McCue at 860-561-7521.
Butterfly House Re-Opens
WEST HARTFORD — The Children's Museum in West Hartford welcomes back their winged friends with the seasonal opening of their Butterfly House. Weekly butterfly releases will take place on Fridays at noon and are sponsored by KISS 95.7 and Country 92.5.
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Throughout the summer, visitors are invited to actively participate in butterfly releases, which will include Monarchs, Painted Ladies, Mourning Cloaks, and other species.
For the fifth year in a row, the Museum will open the Winged Wonders Butterfly House where guests can step inside and immerse themselves in a world of butterflies. The house is staffed with a guide that teaches families about the winged residents and their amazing lifecycles. The house also features many colorful, indigenous plants that foster an ideal natural environment for butterflies.
Admission to the Butterfly House is included with general admission or Museum membership. The house is closed in inclement weather. Visitors may also tour the butterfly garden at the museum's second location: Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton.
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For more information on sponsoring an educational exhibit or program at The Children's Museum or Roaring Brook Nature Center, contact Renee Hartshorn at rhartshorn@thechildrensmuseumct.org or 860-231-2830, ext. 230.
Tunxis Drawing Art Event
WEST HARTFORD — Tunxis Community College and the West Hartford Art League invite the public to a free Tunxis Drawing III art event from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the West Hartford Art League's Clubhouse Gallery, 37 Buena Vista Road.
The collaborative event includes acrylic painting and watercolor demonstrations, complimentary face painting for children, student artists at work in classrooms, art tables for budding artists, and giveaways.
On exhibit in the gallery, Tunxis students from Susan Strauss' class will have over 200 drawings, paintings and custom painted motorcycle helmets on display, with special Tunxis alumni guest illustrator Vincent Vernacatola and Tunxis student Jolouis Nunez. "Drawing III" students who will have their art on display are listed by town.
ASL-Interpreted Performances
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STORRS — Connecticut Repertory Theatre, 820 Bolton Rd., announced that each show of its 2017 Nutmeg Summer Series, 1776, Noises Off, and Disney's Newsies, will have performances interpreted in American Sign Language through a partnership with the University of Connecticut Interpreting Services, a division of the Center for Students with Disabilities.
ASL interpreted performances will take place during the Saturday matinee performances on June 24 for Noises Off and July 15th for Disney's Newsies.
Ticket prices range from $45 to $55 dollars, with student and senior discount available. Children must be at least four years old to attend CRT productions. To purchase tickets for the ASL interpreted performances by phone, call 860.486.2113. For additional information, visit www.crt.uconn.edu.
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Press Boxers Volunteers Sought
WEST HARTFORD — West Hartford Little League's Press Boxers announcer's club offers young teenagers a chance to give back to the community. Press Boxers volunteer to announce one game a week. Announcing duties include: approaching coaches for line ups, keeping the scoreboard, announcing players and playing music.
Experienced announcers can have trivia and music theme games. Press Boxers develop leadership skills and are held responsible for opening/closing the booth and maintaining the equipment.
Press Boxers work on field one at the Little League sports complex at UCONN. Schedules are determined each week to accommodate the student's schedule. Any West Hartford student who has aged out of Little League through tenth grade, regardless of gender, is welcome to join the club. To join the Press Boxers, contact West Hartford Little League at http://westhartfordlittleleague.com.
WEST HARTFORD — Congregation Beth Israel, 701 Farmington Ave., is hosting Tot Shabbat at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17. For more information, visit www.cbict.org, email bethisrael@cbict.org or call 860-233-8215.
Tot Shabbat services precede general Shabbat morning services at 11 a.m. Young children sing along with clergy, hear stories, and receive special blessings. Services are held in the Library Children's Room.
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Fern Street Community Kitchen Schedule
WEST HARTFORD — The Mobile Foodshare will be distributing food in the back parking lot of the Community Kitchen at the Universalist Church at 433 Fern St. from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m. on the below dates. Breakfast is served from 9 to 10 a.m.
The dates are every other Monday: June 19, July 3, 17, and 31. The Fern Street Food Pantry dates and hours are 10 a.m. to noon, June 17, July 22, and Aug. 19.
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For more information, contact: communitybreakfast@westhartforduu.org, foodsharemobile@westhartforduu.org, FernStFood@gmail.com or 860-233-3669.
New Yard Waste Fee Schedule
WEST HARTFORD — West Hartford's annual Yard Waste and Recycling Center permits will be available for purchase at 25 Brixton St. (the former incinerator building), operated by Supreme Forest Products.
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A new fee schedule was adopted to simplify and streamline the permit processing. A "Club Fee" schedule allows all West Hartford residents to use the site and cuts down the type of permits issued from 14 to 4.
All vehicles except trucks and full size vans without trailers will be charged $10 per year, $15 with trailer. Trucks and full size vans will be charged $25 per year, $35 with trailer. Day passes will no longer be available. The fee charged is for the administration of the facility.
Over the past year, additional recycling opportunities were added to reduce the high cost of waste disposal and provide sustainable waste programs. These recycling programs include the recycling of paint, electronics, textiles, mattresses and box springs. A film plastic drop off site is also planned for the spring of 2017.
The Yard Waste and Recycling Center hours are 7 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. through 1 p.m. Saturday.
For more information, visit https://www.westhartfordct.gov/gov/ departments/pw/new_yard_waste_ and_recycling_center_fees.asp
Environmental Educators Needed
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WEST HARTFORD — Part time seasonal instructors are needed to teach outdoor nature programs at Westmoor Park and off-site locations. Westmoor Park is a 162-acre environmental education facility with a demonstration farm and gardens, located at 119 Flagg Rd.
Send resume, cover letter and three references to Christy Page, Assistant Park Naturalist, Westmoor Park, 119 Flagg Road, West Hartford, CT 06117-2325.
Anyone with questions may call 860-561-8263 or email Christy.Page@westhartfordct.gov.
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Energy Assistance Applications
HARTFORD — Operation Fuel's statewide winter energy assistance program has begun taking applications. Families and individuals who are struggling financially and need energy assistance should call 211 to find their closest fuel bank. For more information on Operation Fuel or to make a donation, go to operationfuel.org. Donations also can be sent to Operation Fuel, 75 Charter Oak Ave., Suite 2-240, Hartford, CT 06106.
Softball Umpires Sought
STATEWIDE — The North Central Connecticut Board of Softball Umpires is seeking new members for the 2017 season. Our board provides services to schools, youth and adult recreational leagues in the greater Hartford area. No experience necessary. For more information or to join, contact Al at prez798@aol.com or call/text 860-205-1688.
Aetna Inc.
Mark Bertolini
University Of St. Joseph's Art Museum Showcasing Hans Neleman's 'Moko-Maori Tattoo' Exhibition