The Peacock and the Turtle Dove

Exploring Yiddish and Anglo-American Song Traditions

Amanda L. Scherbenske and Tim Eriksen, Wesleyan University Department of Music, Doctoral Program

Sunday | May 1 | 2 pm
Suggested Donation: $5

Noted musicians Amanda L. Scherbenske and Tim Eriksen come together to collaboratively perform Yiddish and Anglo-American song traditions. They newly imagine and explore the archival materials of famed scholars and collectors Ruth Rubin (Yiddish song) and Anne and Frank Warner (Anglo-American song and stories). Scherbenske and Eriksen will be joined by distinguished composer-multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey. RSVP on Facebook or call Green Street at 860-685-7871.

Join us for this series of intriguing conversations with Wesleyan faculty, staff and alumni. Salons are accompanied by coffee and delicious baked goods from O’Rourke’s Diner. Your suggested donation of $5 ensures the continuation of these fabulous events! This series is co-sponsored by the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at Wesleyan.

Monique speaks about Bullying at the Capitol

Congratulations to Monique McClain for having the courage to share her experience with bullying with legislators and students at the capitol this morning.

Monique spoke for five minutes. She was accompanied and supported by her mother, grandmother, her tutor Matt and her friend. We had the opportunity to hear Monique rehearse her speech at our office with her tutor. We know that Monique was nervous about speaking and want to again congratulate her.

Way to go Monique!

North End PRIDE Day

Come out and show your neighborhood Pride in our annual North End PRIDE Day April 30th. Saturday morning from 9-12 residents, friends and local organizations will be participating in cleanup and beautification projects all over the North End of Middletown. We will clean the parks, wake up the gardens, and do some general sprucing up. We would love to have you join us.
We hope to see you on PRIDE day.

Mothers & Fathers Day Diaper Appeal

Honor Your Mother or Father and Help Babies in Middlesex County Stay Healthy and Happy!

Dear friends,

Thousands of babies in Middlesex County live in families too poor to buy enough disposable diapers to diaper them properly. Healthy babies need clean diapers to avoid diaper rash and other conditions that lead to poor health, behaviors and outcomes. Day care centers require disposable diapers...but food stamps and other programs do not cover diapers. And most laundromats do not allow cloth diapers to be washed in their facilities. Food comes first, so diapers, so necessary to prevent infection, discomfort and major illnesses, often are left on the store shelf.

Through the efforts of the Middlesex Diaper Committee, Middlesex County is now a service area of The Diaper Bank. The Diaper Bank is the most cost-effective way to provide diapers to families in need of them. Last month The Diaper Bank began distributing 120,000 diapers a year through Maternal & Child Health Programs at Middlesex Hospital, Early Head Start, Even Start at Middletown Adult Education and the Family Wellness Center at the Community Health Center.

To continue our wonderful partnership with the Diaper Bank, we need to raise $25,000. We hope you will help.

For a timely gift of $25 or more, we will send your special person a lovely card in time for Mothers or Fathers Day, in your name. Just think, your gift to The Diaper Bank/Middlesex County can honor the person most important to you and help provide diapers to the most vulnerable families right here in our community.

Please read the flyer below for more information and use the reply form to help..or you may contribute on line at www.thediaperbank.org and write in "Middlesex County" in the designation box.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration to promote wellness in our community.
Most Sincerely,

Patti Anne Vassia
Chair Middlesex Diaper Committee

For more information on how to donate click here.

Getting Creative at Green Street

April showers bring May flowers, so get out of the Middletown rain and get your creative juices flowing with all of the exciting events at Green Street Arts Center this weekend! Explore your sensual side on the Salsa Social dance floor and discuss the controversy of stem cell research at the Sunday Salon. Check them out here or for more information call (860) 685-7871.

Salsa Social
Saturday, April 16 | 7pm
Regular $8; Member $5

Join host Jason Pepin, Green Street's resident salsero, for an evening of hot music, open floor, and the best dance crowd in Connecticut. Admission includes refreshments and instruction from 7-8 pm. RSVP on Facebook here or call 860-685-7871.

Sunday Salon Discussion Series
Stem Cells on the Brain: Biology, Politics, and Ethics of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
With Laura Grabel, Wesleyan's Lauren B. Dachs Professor of Science in Society
Sunday, April 17 | 2pm
$5 Suggested Donation

What are embryonic stem cells and why is their use so controversial? How close are we to therapies? What has Obama done for stem cell research? What are some of the ethical implications of embryonic stem cell research? Join Wesleyan’s Dr. Laura Grabel and discuss this exciting area of science. RSVP on Facebook here or call 860-685-7871.

Rhyme Time at Community Music

This week at Community Music we sure had a fine time – making rhymes with

Andrew Fogliano! Caribou got stuck in the goo, Fred ate some bread, everybody did

the Green Street dance (which includes, but is not limited to: stomping, clapping,

wiggling, and making caribou ears with your hands).

There was also some dancing to lovely fiddle tunes during our performance time.

What a treat!

After lunch, we had our first ever Instrument Share – and got to try accordians,

melodicas, piano, and strumsticks. Bonus question: what is the common feature of

all but one of these instruments?

NEXT time we’re having a Campfire Sing – so bring your flashlights and your ghost

stories to share.

The Campfire Sing is on April 30th, 10:30-1 at Green Street.

Our break between events is one week longer than usual.

Mark your calendars! Hope to see you there!

Bonus answer: melodicas, accordians, and pianos ALL have a keyboard! On the

melodica, you blow to make the sound. On the accordian, you pull the bellows apart.

And on the piano, just press the keys.

Mentors and Mentees Hike Mt. Higby!

On Saturday, March 26 the North End Action Team mentors and mentees partnered with Wesleyan volunteers for the Connecticut Forests and Parks Association and hiked Mt. Higby. We had a great time getting exercise outdoors and hope to do more hiking events in the future!

Green Street presents A Feast for the Senses

Friday, April 8, 2011
Preview - 5:30pm
Event - 6-8:30pm
Tickets will be available at the door or by calling 860-685-7871.

Escape the rain and transport yourself to the Caribbean at Green Street Arts Center's A Feast for the Senses silent auction event. Join celebrity host and master of ceremonies Ray Hardman from WNPR's "Morning Edition" and enjoy the sounds of live steel drum and Jamaican music performances, multicultural dances, a wide array of items for auction, stimulating conversation, and sumptuous refreshments. Proceeds from this event support Green Street’s tremendously successful Summer Arts & Science Academy as well as a new initiative, the Young Women's Leadership Institute. Last year's auction was the talk of the town—this year's is sure to captivate you!

Auction Committee Member Robert Mosca tells you more about it here.