QUICK REMINDER: NEAT MONTHLY MEETING FEBRUARY 1st, 7PM @ GSAC

NEAT's monthly meeting will be this Wednesday February 1, 2012 at the Green Street Arts Center at 7:00pm. There have been a lot of changes at Farm Hill Elementary School, including a new principal Mark Proffitt as of January 30, 2012. This meeting will be a meet and greet with Farmhill's New Principal Mark Proffitt. We encourage parents and children to attend. Childcare and pizza for the kids will be provided.

Time is running out for CL&P Credit: Apply if you are eligible!

Customers of Connecticut Light & Power, the state's largest electric utility, are running out of time to apply for a credit to help compensate them for lengthy power outages following the freak October snowstorm.

Eligible customers have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to apply for the credit, which ranges from $100 to $200.

The amount will be determined by the number of customers who apply and meet eligibility requirements by being without power after noon on Saturday, Nov. 5.

The $30 million fund is being paid for by shareholders of Northeast Utilities, the parent company of CL&P.

Eligible residential customers can apply on the utility's website or by calling 1-888-566-9257. The credits will begin to be applied to February's billing statements.

MEETING AT FARMHILL: FAMILY-SCHOOL COMPACT

Farmhill will be having a meeting for Parents and Staff and Community at the Farm Hill School Library on Thursday, February 2nd from 3 pm to 5 pm to begin to create the Family-School Compact. If you can attend, that will be great.

The program will be facilitated by Patti Avallon from the State Department of Education and Donna Marino, the Partnership Coordinator for our schools. We hope you can be part of the Compact process which has been lauded in the Educational Leadership Journal of May 2011.

You may refer to the following web site http://schoolparentcompact.org/news/ for more details. Please contact Donna Marino, Partnership Coordinator at 860-638-1462 and email marinod@mps1.org if you have any questions.


The program highlights FOCUS ON STUDENT SUCCESS AND COMMUNICATION:

• Workshop will show you how to engage families, teachers and students in designing a School-Parent Blueprint for action tied to your school goals.
• Each step in the easy 10-step process includes templates and samples to help create a School-Parent Compact for Farm Hill School.

RSCO Application deadline extended to January 23, 2012

There is still time to complete the RSCO application for magnet schools if you are interested. The deadline for RSCO has been extended to January 23, 2012. Applications are for children from pre-K through 12. Contact NEAT if you would like to complete your application online on one of our computers. The regular office hours are from 10-5pm. Call NEAT @ 860-346-4845 or drop by the office located at 654 Main Street.

Jonah Center News

As “project advocate” for the proposed $1 million multi-use trail, the Jonah Center is assisting the Mayor in forming the committee described below.

On December21, Middletown’s Common Council authorized Mayor Dan Drew to form a committee to assist in drafting a “Complete Streets and Middletown Bikeway Master Plan.” This committee will solicit and process input from the cycling community and other stakeholders in order to develop a master plan to make our streets safer and more usable for cyclists and pedestrians. The ultimate goal is to encourage safe bicycling and walking for transportation, recreation, and exercise purposes.

The Mayor’s Office wishes to meet and speak with a range of individuals who are interested and available to serve on this committee. If you are interested in being a member of the committee, please contact Linda DeSena in the Mayor’s office at 860-344-3401 to say that you will attend one of the sessions listed below. These conversations will be held in Room 111, on the first floor of City Hall. Please act promptly, since there are only 4 slots available for each session, for a total of 16.

Monday, Jan. 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 30, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 6, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

During these one-hour conversations, those who are interested in serving on the committee will share information about their cycling experience, preferred or desired routes, place of residence, and some initial ideas about street improvements, off road paths, or other infrastructure that would make our city safer and more inviting for bicycling. The membership size of the committee has not yet been determined.

In addition to the official members of the bikeway committee, all members of the bicycling community and other stakeholders will have ample opportunity to provide input on the Complete Streets and Bikeway Master Plan that is developed.

Middlesex County NAACP Branch Voters Registration Drive

Middlesex County NAACP Branch
Unit #2018

“Your Vote Counts” launches its Voters Registration Drive 2012 at the Zion First Baptist Church

93 Main St Middletown, CT 06457
Sunday, January 15, 2012
12:00noon. – 2:00 p.m.

Open to the public.

Computers at NEAT office

Computers with internet access are available at the NEAT office for public use. The computers are connected to Russell Library Databases so if you need to job search or look something up you can do it here. They are available for use any time the office is open which is usually 10-5pm. Please call ahead to make sure we are here or otherwise stop in. The office number is 860-346-4845. Also, while you are here, check out the office for more information about upcoming events and other useful information. Hope to see you at Tonight's NEAT Meeting at the GSAC (51 Green St.) at 7pm! This is an important informational on School Options for your pre-K-12 child!

NEAT MEETING: January 11, 2012

Do you Understand Your Magnet School Options?
NEAT is Hosting an Informal Information Session.
Wednesday, January 11th
7pm: Green St. Arts Center
Everyone is Welcome
Childcare and dinner will be provided!

We will have an overview of :
1) Middletown Schools vs. Magnet Options: what is best for your family?
With Guest Speakers: Christina Lapierre from Regional School Choice Office for Greater Hartford and Ralph D'Amato, Head of Guidance for Middletown High School.
2) the process for applying
3) resources for finding the best school for you


We have hear from many families who are considering magnet schools, and feel overwhelmed by the process. They may not be picking the best one for their family or child because of lack of education.

Our session is meant to give you the tools to make the best decision for your family, whether that school is in the Middletown district or a magnet outside of the district.

Middletown Adult Education Free Classes!!

Middletown Adult Education Has Free Classes available! These continuing education classes are being offered to provide continuing education for interested people involved with the fields of agriculture. For a complete list of classes, directions to the Ag Center and more information, click here. To register, call (860) 704‐4594 & leave message, or e‐mail Megan Nesci at nescim@mpsct.org . There are great classes involving horses, dogs and other animals so take advantage!

Local Food Stores and Pharmacies Opportunity to apply for WIC authorization

The Connecticut Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is offering an opportunity for all food stores and pharmacies to apply for WIC authorization from January 3, 2012 – January 31, 2012. Authorization is required for stores to be able to accept WIC checks and serve Connecticut participants in the WIC Program.

Beginning January 3, 2012, applications to participate in the WIC program will be available through the DPH website at www.ct.gov/dph/wic, and selecting “For Vendors”. The website provides information on the application process, criteria for eligibility, and links to register for required training sessions. The application package will only be available to print after registration for a training session is completed.

By January 31, 2012, stores who would like to apply must: 1) register online to attend a training session and; 2) print the application package. The completed application package and all required documents must be submitted at the selected training session.

If you are interested, please take advantage of this great opportunity!

Send us Your Hotspots

This Friday will be our first Community Policing and Code Enforcement Meeting. Please send us any hotspots by clicking here or contact us at the NEAT office. Let us know what we can improve by staying connected and making your issues known. You may also contact the NEAT office at (860) 346-4845 and speak with our Community Organizer Bobbye Knoll. Together we can make this a safe, pleasant and beautiful year for the neighborhood.

VITA TAX PREPARATION

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

Call to Schedule an Appointment Today. You may call the NEAT office to schedule appoints in Middletown at 860-346-4845 or call 211 for more available appointment sites.

Free income tax assistance by IRS trained and certified volunteers is available at the local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites for people for people with Incomes under $50,000. You can save up to $150 in tax preparation services alone.

Volunteers will ensure that you are filing for all of the tax credits for which you are eligible including the new state Earned Income Tax Credit.

Call United Way 211 will schedule an appointment for you. Simply dial 211 on your phone. Or you may call the NEAT office at (860) 346-4845. Appointments will be scheduled for January 24-April 11, 2011 evenings and Saturdays.

There are two downtown Middletown VITA Locations:

Middlesex United Way, 100 Riverview Center Suite 230

NEAT, 654 Main Street

What you need to bring with you to your appointment:

Valid Picture ID

Social Security Cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITN) for you, your spouse and any dependents living with you born before January 1, 2012.

Birth dates for you, your spouse and dependents

Documentation is also required for deductible education expenses and student loan payments.

Interest and dividend statements from banks or other financial institutions (Forms 1099)

Total paid for child care. Bing day care provider’s address and tax identifying number (the provider’s Social Security Number or business Employer Identification Number)

A copy of last year’s Federal and State income tax returns, if available

Current year’s tax package, if you received one

Have your refund deposited directly to your checking account.

If you have a checking account, bring a checkbook or a voided check with you or a statement with your bank account name, number and the 9-digit American Bankers Association (ABA) routing number. Contact your bank if you need assistance identifying the ABA number.

You could qualify for the Federal and new state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

Two quick ways to get your refund

Direct Deposit

Or Debit Card available at Vita Sites.

Community Music Initiative

CMI is back - first event of 2012! Join us on January 7, 2012 from 11am-1pm at the Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green Street. We will kick off the year with African Drumming with Jocelyn Pleasant. After, we will gather for a potluck lunch. The event is Open to all ages - perfect for families! Best of all, it's FREE! Please call NEAT at 860 346 4845 with any questions or if you're interested in volunteering. Check out our website for more info on the program: www.neatmiddletown.org/cmi.