NEAT/WESLEYAN WINTER MARKET

The Farmers Market is back! Come out next Wednesday, February 16, 2011 from 11:00 am to 2:00pm at Fayerweather 202 (Beckham Hall) at Wesleyan University. The market is indoors but just as vibrant. Come browse and check out the fresh, nutritious, and affordable local produce. The farmers market will be accepting WIC, SNAP, Senior and FMNP checks. For more information, please visit the Wes Farmer's Market site, call (856)630-7000 or email wesleyanfarmersmarket@gmail.com or sroodojalvo@wesleyan.edu.

February NEAT Meeting

FEBRUARY NEAT MEETING TOMORROW

Join us for NEAT's February meeting, tomorrow, February 9, 2011 at the Green Street Arts Center at 7p.m. This is a very important meeting and your input is needed. Board Elections will be held at this meeting and NEAT's direction and initiatives for the year will be planned and discussed.

Child care is provided - Pizza will be served to the kids and adults

We will have announcements about upcoming programs and update residents about the safety of Main Street buildings.

We look forward to seeing you there.

CMI starts off 2011 with a some joyful noise!

On January 29^th 2011, the sounds of pirate voices, stomping, clapping, and rowdy singing echoed through the halls of Green Street. What could it be? Well, the Community Music Initiative of course!

CMI is back, with participatory music events every other Saturday through May. Our first event this year was a great success, with many new participants and a core of experienced community members, performing, volunteering, and making music. There was a special appearance by two of the Fiddle Kids, several energetic music games, a delicious potluck, and a joyful singing session focusing on call and answer songs, from gospel to kids’ songs to sea shanties (which is when the pirate voices happened).

Some photos of the awesome Fiddle Kids from Buru Style’s holiday concert in December. Aidan and Dermot (left) performed on January 29^th and Ani, Alana, Ivan, and Nora (right) will be performing at a CMI event in the next month – stay tuned!

The next event! Please join us this Saturday (February 12^th) for an exciting workshop by Dennis Waring, part-time Middletown resident and much respected musician and teacher. Dennis will be sharing his beautiful instruments with us and teaching about music from Africa, Latin America, and Folk USA.

All CMI Saturday events run from 10:30am-1pm at the Green Street Arts Center. Bring yourselves, your friends, and a little something for lunch.

Please contact NEAT anytime (860 346 4845) or email program coordinator Emily (emily@neatmiddletown.com). We’d love to hear from you.

MIDDLETOWN PARKING BAN

In anticipation of the snowstorm, Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano is declaring a parking ban effective at 12:00 A.M. on February 1, 2011. The Department of Public Works requests that you make arrangements to remove your vehicles parked on City streets. Should you need off-street parking, you may park at the following municipal parking lots:

Corner of Washington / Broad Streets (by Kidcity Children's Museum)

Broad Street (across from Russell Library)

Melilli Plaza (behind Main Street Market)

Parked vehicles on City streets must be removed by 12:00 a.m., or run the risk of being towed by Middletown Police at the owner's expense. If a vehicle is towed during the parking ban, you may claim the vehicle by contacting Middletown Police Dept. at 860-347-6941. All payments, i.e., the ticket and towing charge, must be paid at the Police Dept. before a vehicle is released.

The Mayor asks for everyone's cooperation. Due diligence will be exercised, but safety will remain a priority. Please help the Public Works Dept. employees to properly clear all City streets.

Questions? Contact Bill Russo, Director at 860-344-3407

Flamenco & Family Festival at Green Street

¡Viva Flamenco! A Demonstration and Workshop with Marta Torres
Friday, January 28 | 7–8:30 pm
Regular: $8; Members/Students/Seniors: $5

Marta Torres, a native of Madrid Spain, will demonstrate flamenco dance and explain its history, including a question and answer session. The final half hour will allow audience members to try flamenco for themselves—participation encouraged, but not required.

Family Festival at Green Street—Come in from the Cold!
Saturday, January 29 | 10:30 am–2:30 pm | FREE!

Join us at Green Street for a day of family activities for all! All ages are welcome; children must attend with a parent or caretaker. This event is free, but your donations will help us hold future events.

10:30 am-1 pm Community Music Initiative (all ages)

12-1:30 pm Hip Hop with Eric Quiñones, ThoroEnergy (ages 8-12)

1-1:45 pm Early Childhood Music (ages 5 and under)

1:45-2:30 pm Storytelling (all ages)

1-2:30 pm Creative Arts Workshop (all ages)

Parking Ban begins today at NOON.

THERE IS A SNOW BAN IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT NOON Today.

The City of Middletown has a snow ban in effect for this afternoon and evening, please remember the following:
If your car is preventing the snow plows from properly cleaning the street, it will be ticketed and towed.

IF YOU NEED SHELTER DURING THE STORM PLEASE CALL 211.

Also, as a reminder, city ordinance requires you to shovel any sidewalk in front of your property no later than 24 hours after a snowfall. Please be considerate of your neighbors and shovel and/or salt your sidewalk.

If you are unable to shovel because of physical limitations, please call NEAT and we may be able to find help for you. (860) 346-4845.

Or, if you are a renter and your property owner is not clearing the sidewalks, please let NEAT know so that we may inform the city Sidewalk Inspector.

If you need off-street parking, you may park at the following municipal parking lots:

Corner of Washington/Broad St.(behind Kid City), Broad Street (across from Russell Library), Melilli Plaza (behind Main Street Market) and the lot on the north and south sides of Green Street (near the Green Street Arts Center and behid the Luis Lopez Herb Garden).

The City policy states that: "Parked vehicles of City streets must be removed by 12:00 pm. or run the risk of being towed by the Middletown Police at the owner's expense. If a vehicle is towed during the parking ban, you may claim the vehicle by contacting the Middletown Police Department at 860-347-6941. All payments, i.e., the ticket and towing chare, must be paid at the Police Department before a vehicle is released."

Thank you and enjoy the snow!

There is a parking ban beginning at 6 pm tonight

THERE IS A SNOW BAN IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT 6 pm TONIGHT.

The City of Middletown has a snow ban in effect for this evening and tomorrow, please remember the following:
If your car is preventing the snow plows from properly cleaning the street, it will be ticketed and towed.

Also, as a reminder, city ordinance requires you to shovel any sidewalk in front of your property no later than 24 hours after a snowfall. Please be considerate of your neighbors and shovel and/or salt your sidewalk.

If you are unable to shovel because of physical limitations, please call NEAT and we may be able to find help for you.

Or, if you are a renter and your property owner is not clearing the sidewalks, please let NEAT know so that we may inform the city Sidewalk Inspector.

If you need off-street parking, you may park at the following municipal parking lots:

Corner of Washington/Broad St.(behind Kid City), Broad Street (across from Russell Library), Melilli Plaza (behind Main Street Market) and the lot on the north and south sides of Green Street (near the Green Street Arts Center and behid the Luis Lopez Herb Garden).

The City policy states that: "Parked vehicles of City streets must be removed by 12:00 pm. or run the risk of being towed by the Middletown Police at the owner's expense. If a vehicle is towed during the parking ban, you may claim the vehicle by contacting the Middletown Police Department at 860-347-6941. All payments, i.e., the ticket and towing chare, must be paid at the Police Department before a vehicle is released."

Thank you and enjoy the snow!

Important information for students and families preparing for college.

On January 30th, at several locations throughout CT, individuals and/or families can receive FREE technical assistance to complete the FAFSA (federal financial aid form). This form is very important for financial assistance and funding for post secondary education.

If you want to receive this technical assistance, please register on the College Goal Sunday flyer link.

If you or a family member needs a bilingual translator or any other special services, contact the site.

Parents - Please do not wait until high school to start discussing continuing education plans and future goals with your children.

"Instilling the value of education and linking school work to future goals is what the middle school age group needs to excel in school, more than parents' helping with homework or showing up at school," say Nancy E. Hill, PhD, of Harvard University.

WEDNESDAY MEETING CANCELED/Snow Ban info

DUE TO THE SNOW STORM TOMORROWS NEAT MEETING IS CANCELED.

We look forward to seeing everyone at our February 9th meeting.

THERE IS A SNOW BAN IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT 6 pm TONIGHT.

The City of Middletown has a snow ban in effect for this evening and tomorrow, please remember the following:
If your car is preventing the snow plows from properly cleaning the street, it will be ticketed and towed.

Also, as a reminder, city ordinance requires you to shovel any sidewalk in front of your property no later than 24 hours after a snowfall. Please be considerate of your neighbors and shovel and/or salt your sidewalk.

If you are unable to shovel because of physical limitations, please call NEAT and we may be able to find help for you.

Or, if you are a renter and your property owner is not clearing the sidewalks, please let NEAT know so that we may inform the city Sidewalk Inspector.

If you need off-street parking, you may park at the following municipal parking lots:

Corner of Washington/Broad St.(behind Kid City), Broad Street (across from Russell Library), Melilli Plaza (behind Main Street Market) and the lot on the north and south sides of Green Street (near the Green Street Arts Center and behid the Luis Lopez Herb Garden).

The City policy states that: "Parked vehicles of City streets must be removed by 12:00 pm. or run the risk of being towed by the Middletown Police at the owner's expense. If a vehicle is towed during the parking ban, you may claim the vehicle by contacting the Middletown Police Department at 860-347-6941. All payments, i.e., the ticket and towing chare, must be paid at the Police Department before a vehicle is released."

Thank you and enjoy the snow!

North End Action Team: 2010-2011 Slate for Board of Directors and Officers

New Members Agreeing to Serve for the 2012 Term

Sarah-Jane Ripa-Green Street Arts Center

Mark Reid-Wharfside Commons

Terms Ending in 2010 and Members Have Agreed to Renew for 2012

(Acting) Chief of Police Patrick McMahon

Stephen Lapenta

Mandy Sickle Smith (Vice President)

Tina Brown (Board Chair)

Steven Kovach

Erica Hulme-Artist Co-op

Terms Ending in December 2011

Stacy Barka (President)

Cookie Quinones

Rob Rosenthal

Michael Taylor

Rose Fountain

Pam Frost (Treasurer)

Amy Waterman (Administrative Secretary)

Tania Herring

Don Sateline

There is still time to give to NEAT in 2010

As 2o1o draws to a close we wanted to remind everyone that you still have 3 days left to make your 2010 donation to NEAT.

Click here to access our donation page. Use the google check out button to make your secure donation to NEAT.

To read this years NEAT stories you can click here.

Thank you for helping NEAT.

We wish you all a safe and Happy New Year.

SNOW BAN IN EFFECT

The City of Middletown has a snow ban in effect beginning noon today, December 26th until further notice.
Please remember, if your car is preventing the snow plows from properly cleaning the street, it will be ticketed and could be towed.

Also, as a reminder, city ordinance requires you to shovel any sidewalk in front of your property no later than 24 hours after a snowfall. Please be considerate of your neighbors and shovel and/or salt your sidewalk.

If you are unable to shovel because of physical limitations, please call NEAT and we may be able to find help for you.

Or, if you are a renter and your property owner is not clearing the sidewalks, please let NEAT know so that we may inform the city Sidewalk Inspector.

If you need off-street parking, you may park at the following municipal parking lots: Corner of Washington/Broad St.(behind Kid City), Broad Street (across from Russell Library), Melilli Plaza (behind Main Street Market).

The City policy states that: "Parked vehicles of City streets must be removed by 12:00 pm. or run the risk of being towed by the Middletown Police at the owner's expense. If a vehicle is towed during the parking ban, you may claim the vehicle by contacting the Middletown Police Deparment at 347-6941. All payments, i.e., the ticket and towing chare, must be paid at the Police Department before a vehicle is released."
Thank You.

FREE FLU SHOTS AND VISION SCREENING

FREE Flu shots and Vision screenings are available tomorrow from 3-8 p.m. at AME Zion Church- 440 West Street, Middletown CT.

NO INSURANCE OR PROOF OF RESIDENCY REQUIRED.

Children must be 3 years or older.

The event is sponsored by Mass Distributing Area 36: Towns of Cromwell, Middlefield, Durham and the City of Middletown; and the Middletown Lions Club.

FREE TRANSPORTATION IS AVAILABLE FROM: St. Vincent Depaul Place, Eddy Shelter, River Valley Services,Travers Square,Senior Center/Sbona Towers, Westlake Drive,Maplewood Terrace,Long Lane Complex,Wadsworth Street Complex,Wilcox Apartments

For more information call (860) 344-3595

NEAT Mentors have End-of-Semester Holiday Celebration

Yesterday (Dec. 11) the NEAT mentors and mentees decorated a tree, made holiday posters and constructed delicious gingerbread houses! Happy Holidays from the mentoring program!

TIS THE SEASON FOR SINGING!

Join the Community Music Initiative for caroling in the neighborhood next week!

Caroling will be happening NEXT Thursday December 16^th - save the date!

Please call NEAT at 860 346 4845 with any questions.

You can also email Emily at emily@neatmiddletown.org.

We'll sing wintery non-religious songs at the top of our lungs, beginning and Macdonough School and ending at the Green Street Arts Center with some hot chocolate and cookies. Please spread the word to family and friends. Everyone is welcome.

The route:

5:30 - meet outside the front of *Macdonough School* on Spring Street

5:30-6:30 - sing on Spring, Grand, Pearl, and Ferry Streets

6:30 - warm up at GSAC with some hot chocolate and cookies

Middletown is beautiful at night when it’s filled with people making music. This is the High School Marching band playing on Main Street.

A few reminders:

*Dress warmly, gloves especially

*Don't worry if you don't know any songs, you will learn them fast!

And I'll bring words to everything.

*If you'd like to contribute a baked good or hot drink, please email or call me to make arrangements (860 346 4845)

*If you want to come, but you're not free at 5:30, I can give you my cell number so you can call later and join us wherever we are.

NEAT HOLIDAY PARTY/BURU STYLE CD RELEASE

Every year, NEAT hosts a holiday party the second Wednesday of December. This year we've decided to amp it up and instead, invite our members to a great event at Green Street Arts Center next Friday: a giant combined party. It will be a great event with bands, a sing along and NEAT's own Community Music Initiative youth singers entertaining. There is a suggested donation, but if that would keep you from coming, come anyway! NEAT would be happy to make a donation on your behalf. Bring a dish if you have one, or just bring your self. Read below for more info from Green St.:

As we begin the holiday season, please join us on Friday, December 3rd for Green Street’s Holiday Celebration! This musical celebration will feature Buru Style headlines with a set from their newly released CD “The Omnidenominational Holiday Experience,” and are joined by The Japanese, Blues Not Bombs, House of Moses, Static Stamina, Eric Lichter, The Kid Fiddlers all performing their own creative takes on holiday music. WESU DJ Lord Lewis the Velvet Knight will spin holiday funk twixt the sets, and the whole Green Street community is invited to participate in a holiday potluck.

The event kicks off at 7pm and your suggested admission of $5 will benefit Green Street’s programs. We will also collect canned goods and non-perishables for the Amazing Grace Food Pantry. Visit the event on Facebook to RSVP and find out more http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178236748857385&ref=ts. Please check out of Facebook page and invite your friends and colleagues to become a ‘fan’ and RSVP to this fun celebration as well. If you are planning to attend, please let me know. We’d love to have you all here to celebrate with us.

NEAT Mentors and Mentees Enjoy Outdoor Fun

November 20, 2010

Who doesn't enjoy the great outdoors in autumn? Taking advantage of nice weather, the NEAT mentors and mentees paired up with Wesleyan's Outing Club to participate in fun outdoor activities and learn some new skills. We made quesadillas on a camp stove, "slug" wrestled (in sleeping bags), learned how to pitch a tent and tie knots, played hopscotch and jump rope, balanced on a slack line, enjoyed trail mix and made art with sidewalk chalk. Many thanks to Wesleyan Outing Club for helping out and for providing free t-shirts!

Free Financial Literacy Workshop!

One of the goals of the United Way Women’s Initiative is to ensure that women have the education and tools to be independent and self-sufficient. To help meet this goal the Women’s Initiative is sponsoring a free workshop called “Understanding Money & Credit” on Thursday, December 2 at 9:30 a.m. at Middlesex Community College. This event is not restricted to women - anyone is welcome to attend. The workshop will last about 90 minutes and breakfast is provided.

During this workshop you will:

• Assess your current financial situation

• Learn how to set financial goals

• Understand the cost of credit
  

• Create a budget based on your income

You will receive a free workbook to help you
on your path to financial stability. The first 50
participants also receive a free padfolio with
calculator.

And did we mention it’s free?

More location details: @Chapman Hall (C & D)
Middlesex Community College
100 Training Hill Rd, Middletown

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Jill Davoll at Middlesex
United Way, (860) 346-8695

CMI completes a successful first season – watch out, 2011, here we come!

The Community Music Initiative is a new NEAT program that builds North End community through participation in music. CMI has been running Saturday music events in the neighborhood every other week since September. Though the program is finished for this year, we’ll be back every other Saturday starting January 29^th, 2011!

The first five CMI events have shown how fortunate we are to have an incredibly enthusiastic, creative, and musical neighborhood! Saturday events demonstrate increasing and committed attendance, from 25 participants at our first event to 53 at our fifth. CMI participants have been jumping into music-making with open minds and lots of energy, from young volunteers leading sections of the singing circle to older participants demonstrating drum beats for everyone to jam on. And best of all, people are making friends and making connections. One young CMI student now affectionately refers to another volunteer as her “adopted sister.” Performing together, singing together, and drumming together – we are getting to know each other.

Ana and Paige performing.

Jon and Aaron singing.

Our most recent workshop was especially musical and meaningful. Andrew Fogliano led us in Nyabinghi drumming which is a kind of group music where you drum and sing about life. And what did we sing about? Middletown, of course! We split up into small groups and made up short verses about the place we all live. Sometimes people disagreed (I like ____ restaurant better than ____) and sometimes they found common ground (I love going to the library, too). While making music together, CMI participants also learned about Middletown and each other.

Drumming and singing about life in Middletown.

A huge thanks to everyone who has supported the Community Music Initiative this fall. Thank you to workshop leaders, students, volunteers, and participants at our events. And a special shout-out to Roger Dufour, James Bendzinski, Betsy Gabriel, and Trisha Boirie for their consistent help making CMI Saturdays run smoothly.

Group photo, November 20^th! Thanks Bruce Morin and Izzi Greenberg for all the fabulous photos along the way!

Stay tuned! CMI will post soon about a plan to go CAROLING. We’ll sing fun group songs with no particular religious-affiliation, travel around the neighborhood, and share some hot chocolate and snacks. If you’d like to be involved or help out, please email emily@neatmiddletown.org or call NEAT and ask for Emily (860 346 4845).