Windsor Freedom Trail Documentary airing, food drive taking place
WINDSOR — September is Connecticut Freedom Trail Month. The Connecticut Freedom Trail is designed to recognize the importance of sites throughout the state that are associated with the heritage and movement towards freedom of African Americans.
The mission of the Windsor Freedom Trail is to raise awareness of the Windsor Freedom Trail and share the rich history of the Freedom Trail sites; and provide Windsor residents and the greater community with educational programs and events to celebrate African American achievement, history, and heritage.
Due to COVID-19, the annual Windsor Freedom Trail Run and Walking Tour will be suspended this year. Celebrating Freedom Trail Month in Windsor is taking place with the following activities or programs.
Windsor Freedom Trail documentary airing on WIN-TV: From now through mid-October, relax in the comforts of your home while watching the Windsor Freedom Trail Documentary. Members of the community will talk about their experiences as freedom trail event participants and will share what it meant to learn about the rich African American history in Windsor by visiting the various sites along the Windsor Freedom Trail.
The Windsor sites will also be highlighted in the documentary. They are as follows: the Riverside cemetery on East Street in Windsor, where a number of African American soldiers from the Connecticut 29th and 31st colored regiments and other civil war units are buried; the Nancy Toney gravesite; the Joseph Rainey House; the William Best House; and the historic Archer Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church and Cemetery.
The documentary will air on WIN-TV (Comcast Channel 5, Frontier channel 6102) through the rest of September and into mid-October for public viewing on Mondays at 8 a.m., Wednesdays at 4 p.m., Thursdays at 8 p.m., and Saturdays at 9 p.m. WIN-TV will also air this documentary at other random times throughout this time period.
Windsor Freedom Trail Food Drive: Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to noon. In keeping with a Windsor Freedom Trail tradition, the Freedom Trail Committee will still be collecting donations of non-perishable food items to be donated to the Windsor Food Bank. The collection will take place in the Archer Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church parking lot, 320 Hayden Station Road.
Social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines are in effect. Contact windsorfreedomtrail@hotmail.com for more information.
Hartford Public Library and Hartford Stage announce new book club
HARTFORD — Hartford Public Library and Hartford Stage invite the community to a new book club, called “Deep Appreciation,” a heart-led gathering featuring live readings, interactive dialogue and reflections on fiction and poetry by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) authors, past and present.
The book club will meet quarterly to discuss the selection with teens and adults, as well as provide a family friendly book pairing for those who wish to continue the conversation at home. Everyone is welcome. To register, visit https://www.hplct.org/books-media-more/book-clubs-discussions or call 860-695-6320.
“Among the many values Hartford Stage and Hartford Public Library share is empathy,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, HPL’s president and CEO. “We believe that cultivating understanding between people, and then acting on what is learned, is a fundamental good. That’s why this book club project is exciting to me – it’s an opportunity for people to engage with great literature with an open heart and an open mind.”
The meeting schedule is as follows: Nov. 19, to discuss “Red to the Bone” by Jaqueline Woodson and “I Am Enough” by Grace Byers; and Jan. 21, April 29 and July 22.
The club meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on each date noted. Book selections for the 2021 dates will be announced at a later date.
The book club was inspired by Black Lives Matter activists and by Black author Jasmine Guillory and will honor BIPOC stories of joy, grief, healing, sorrow, and love. In this spirit, the book club will live by a shared set of values, including committing to the practice of anti-racism in its gatherings.
“As two neighboring institutions dedicated to amplifying storytelling and storytellers on our bookshelves and on our stage, we are thrilled to have found a new way to come together,” said Melia Bensussen, Hartford Stage’s artistic director. “We are looking forward to the inspiration and insight we will gain from the writings we will share, helping us to forge new connections, and to better know ourselves and each other at this challenging time.”
Windsor Human Relations Commission announces food drive
WINDSOR — Judge Kevin Washington, Chairman of the Town of Windsor Human Relations Commission, announced a food and hand sanitizer drive to benefit Windsor Public Schools and other local organizations. The drive will be social-distancing-friendly and contactless.
Donations of canned food and hand sanitizer will be accepted on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon at the L. P. Wilson Community Center, 599 Matianuck Ave. Visit www.townofwindsorct.com to learn more about the Human Relations Commission and its goals.
Connecticut Building at the Big E goes virtual
STATEWIDE — The Big E may be cancelled this year but would-be-fairgoers can still explore and experience the iconic dishes, handmade products and tourism attractions that the Connecticut Building on the Avenue of States has always offered.
In response to the fair’s cancellation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Connecticut Office of Tourism has launched a brand-new virtual Connecticut Building experience. Visit www.CTvisit.com/The-Big-E to visit the virtual Connecticut building.
The experience features a growing list of Connecticut Building vendors, including Connecticut restaurants, farms, wineries, breweries, artisans, entertainers, museums and more, known for everything from loaded baked potatoes and gourmet kettle corn to hand-poured candles and historic timepieces.
Many vendors are offering special discounts for virtual fairgoers, which can be redeemed online or in person. Businesses featured in the virtual Connecticut Building include: Connecticut Valley Tobacconist in Enfield, featuring traditional hand-rolled cigars; Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, home to a variety of endangered species; Danny’s Smoke House Grill in South Windsor, voted best baked potato at The Big E; Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, now showing “Fresh Fields: American Impressionist Landscapes,” through Nov. 1; Good Doggy Treats in Brookfield, featuring all-natural, grain-free dog treats; Maple Craft Food in Sandy Hook, featuring its Maple Candied Bacon Kit; Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, offering gaming, lodging and entertainment for the whole family; Sweet Wind Farm in East Hartland, featuring pure maple syrup and cream; and
The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, providing a variety of house, history, mystery and ghost tours.
Hartford History Center to launch new online exhibit on women’s suffrage
HARTFORD – In October 1920, with the passage of the 19th Amendment, thousands of Hartford women queued up to register for the newly acquired right to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Their voter registration card, along with thousands of other city residents’ cards, are preserved and made accessible in Hartford Public Library’s Hartford History Center (HHC).
October 1920, a new online exhibition that focuses on the Hartford women who registered to vote for the first time, goes live September 14, 2020, the 100th anniversary of the day when the state of Connecticut ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Through these historical public records, we are introduced to a diverse contingent of civic-minded women – whether single, married, or widowed; black or white; Jewish or Christian; housewives, stenographers, undertakers; native born or foreign born – who took advantage of this long-fought opportunity to register to vote.
“The Hartford History Center at HPL houses a remarkable record of Hartford’s public history including the Town and City Clerk Archives from 1639 through 1970, the records of the Hartford City Parks Commission from the 1850s through the present, and Hartford’s voter registration records from the 1840s through the 2000s. Taken together these three huge collections contain a wealth of information about Hartford and its citizens. They reflect the city’s rapid growth and prosperity and its increasing diversity,” said Brenda Miller, the Library’s Executive Director, Culture and Communications.
The spine of the October 1920 project comes from a collection of voter registration cards from that landmark year, a trove of demographic and biographic information about who came to the polls in that historic election.
In the early 1900s, voter registration was only open twice a year, March and October, and only every two years. Only a few hundred people would apply. In 1920, somewhere between 15,000 and 17,000 women registered to vote out of 19,000 women eligible. Hartford’s overall population was about 138,000 people.
“We started thinking about this this past fall,” said Jennifer Sharp, HHC Archivist. “We really wanted to do something that would highlight what we have in the collection. The voter registration cards are very unique.”
“We wanted to release it on the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. It was too monumental an anniversary not to recognize it,” said Maureen Heher, HHC Historical Research Specialist.
In the lead up to the election, women lined up to practice what to do at the polls. They caught up on the issues at stake and in the positions of the people on the ballot. “They were very engaged. There was a real push to make sure that women understood what they were doing,” Heher said.
Sharp and Heher said that while doing research they were struck by the patriotism of the people of that time period.
“The biggest takeaway for me was how many people wanted this,” Sharp said. “These were people who wanted to participate in the process.”
“When these women were given the right to vote, it was treated as a sacred duty. It was an obligation – now that we have it, it is our duty to do this, they felt,” Heher said.
Sharp said it’s hard to look at the time period, where over 90 percent voter turnout was not uncommon, and to not feel a level of concern about the current state of our democracy where turnout is low and some people feel as if their vote is meaningless. “We have this right and we have to use it,” Sharp said.
The digitization of the Hartford Voter Registration Collection held in the Library’s Hartford History Center, and the subsequent transcription of the cards and making the cards’ digital images accessible online through the Connecticut Digital Archive was made possible through the generous support of Abraham Ford Jr., Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Michael Howser, Janice Mathews, Anne E. McAloon, B. Miller and Pradeep Bajaj, Pomeroy-Brace Fund, Brenda Roggeveen, Gilda and David Roncari, and Stephen and Amy Saunders. Visit https://hplct.libguides.com/October1920 to view the exhibit.
Eastern to host National Endowment for the Arts ‘Big Read’ extravaganza
WILLIMANTIC — Beginning Oct. 7 and running through Dec. 3, Eastern Connecticut University will lead a series of local events as part of the National Endowment for the Arts annual “Big Read” program. Each year, the Big Read program selects a book for communities across America to read and engage; this year’s book is “Into the Beautiful North” by noted Mexican American author Luis Alberto Urrea.
Eastern is one of 84 communities in the United States to receive an NEA grant, in partnership with Arts Midwest, to host Big Read in Willimantic. Most of the activities and events at Eastern will take place virtually. The public is invited. Admission is free.
The Big Read is designed to broaden understanding of the world, communities and human beings through the joy of reading. Eastern’s Big Read partners include the Willimantic Public Library, the Hispanic Alliance of Southern Connecticut and the City of New London, among others.
Eastern’s First Year Program has incorporated the book as required reading into the First Year Introduction seminar for all incoming freshmen. Students, faculty and staff across the university will engage with this timely novel and participate in campus-wide discussions, guest lectures, films and other programming related to the book.
“This award gives our gallery a powerful story with which to voice our solidarity with people victimized by structural racism,” said Art Gallery Director Yulia Tikhonova. “Through our exhibitions and programs, we will feature Black and Brown artists of diverse media. ‘Into the Beautiful North’ stands for unity and action, as great art always does. Bertolt Brecht once said, ‘Hungry man, reach for the book – it is a weapon!'”
Tikhonova said the University will distribute 600 copies of this book in English and Spanish to community members. Visit https://www.easternct.edu/big-read/index.html for more information.
On Oct. 7, at 3 p.m., Bessy Reyna, cultural critic and poet laureate for the Town of Bolton, will read her work and answer general questions. For more information, visit https://www.immigrantheritage.org/new-blog/2017/6/13/bessy-reynas and http://bessyreyna.com/.
On Oct. 8, at 3 p.m. on Zoom, David Antonio Cruz, a multidisciplinary artist and professor of painting and drawing at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, will discuss his practice, which fuses painting and performance to explore the visibility and intersectionality of Brown, Black and queer bodies. Visit http://www.cruzantoniodavid.com for more information.
The kick-off of the opening exhibition at Eastern’s Art Gallery of “The Future is Latinx,” which features 20 critically engaged artists who challenge the marginalized position of being foreigners in their own land, will take place on Oct. 8 at 4 p.m.
“The Future is Latinx” will be presented in two venues: Eastern’s Art Gallery from Oct. 8 to Dec. 11 and the Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut in New London from Sept. 25 to Dec. 11. The exhibit brings together exceptionally talented and critically engaged artists who challenge denigrating myths about their Latin American identities, history and roots, unpack narratives of immigration twisted by politicians and media, and allow the public to see a true reflection of their lives and dreams.
In New London on Saturdays in October (Oct. 3, 10, 17, 23 and 31), Eastern alumna Migdalia Salas, vice president of the Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut, and educator and activist Mirna Martinez will lead a series of Zoom meetings titled “Mi Historias,” with immigrant Latinx students from New London High School reading Urrea’s book “Into the Beautiful North.” The students will engage in conversations and writing about their journeys and choose works from the exhibit to write about. Visit www.hispanicalliancesect.org for more information.
On Oct. 13, at 12:30 p.m., Martin Espada, who has been described as “Poet Laureate of our New America” and editor of the poetry anthology “What Saves Us: Poems of Empathy and Outrage in the Age of Trump” (2019), will read a selection of his recent. Espada will also appear on the Wayne Norman Show on WILI-AM on Sept. 22 at 7 a.m. to discuss his work. This year, Espada re-published 40 of his poems published previously by Curbstone Press, under the title “Poetry Like Bread.” Visit http://www.martinespada.net for more information.
On Oct. 13, at 11 a.m., Christine Garcia, assistant professor of English, will moderate a Zoom panel discussion in the Art Gallery featuring Robyn Greenly, professor of art history at the University of Connecticut, and Kerry Doyle, director and chief curator of the Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at the University of Texas at El Paso. The panel will discuss a large-scale, site-specific, participatory installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, titled “Border Tuner” (2019), which has connected the cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, using powerful searchlights and live sound channels across the United States-Mexico border. Video documentation of Border Tuner will be presented as part of “The Future is Latinx.” Visit https://www.bordertuner.net/home for more information.
On Oct. 14, at 3 p.m. in the Art Gallery, Luis Alberto Urrea, celebrated author of “Into the Beautiful North,” will speak through Zoom about his prolific writing career. Urrea has published 14 books. He will share what it means when more than 100 cities and colleges have chosen his books for a community reading. For more information, visit http://luisurrea.com.
On Oct. 15, at 6 p.m., the Willimantic Public Library will host a teen book discussion. The library will also host adult programs on the themes of Urrea’s book at 11 a.m. on Oct. 20 and at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22.
On Oct. 21, at 3 p.m., Eastern will lead a community conversation with elected officials, DACA students and community stakeholders. The program will conclude with a musical performance by Eastern voice faculty and students, who wrote original music compositions to the poems of Latinx writers.
Also during October, the Big Read Program will unveil a mural project created on the CLICK Community Kitchen in Willimantic. The public mural is designed and painted by residents of Windham/Willimantic, under the guidance of Nicaraguan artist Alejandro de la Guerra. Guerra is currently artist in residence at El Instituto-the Institute of Latina/Latino, Caribbean and Latin American Studies at the University of Connecticut.
Guerra’s work is supported by the Artist Protection Fund in New York City. Guerra’s mural is inspired by Nicaraguan folk artists/muralists who created nearly 300 murals in response to the revolution in 1979. Guerra will engage students from local schools and the community and conduct a workshop on the value of public art.
On Nov. 10, at 3 p.m., Christine Garcia, assistant professor of English, will moderate a panel discussion featuring artists Esteban Ramon Perez and Felipe Baeza. Perez and Baeza will discuss the multiplicity of Latinx and Chicano identity politics manifested in their artwork. Pérez, from Los Angeles, is an interdisciplinary artist-in-residence at NXTHVN in New Haven. Visit https://www.nxthvn.com for more information. Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, Baeza incorporates painting and printmaking to examine how memory, migration and displacement work to create a state of hybridity and fugitivity.
Other events, with dates and times to be announced, include “The New Feminism,” which will be hosted by the Windham/Willimantic chapter of the NAACP and ACLU. The discussion will tie subjects in Urrea’s book to the issues of immigration, racism, escalating tensions on the border between Mexico and the United States, bravery and more. These discussions may be held in the Art Gallery and presented on Zoom. In addition, leaders of La Communidad Intellectual, in collaboration with El Instituto and the Puerto Rican and Latin American Cultural Center at the University of Connecticut, will host a series of discussions on Urrea’s book. Both groups support the success of first and second-year students at the University of Connecticut.
For more information on the Big Read Program, visit https://www.easternct.edu/big-read/index.html or contact Art Gallery Coordinator Yulia Tikhonova at tikhonovay@easternct.edu or call 860- 465-4625.
Bridge Family Center opens counseling center in Elmwood
WEST HARTFORD — The Bridge Family Center opened Bridge Elmwood, a mental health clinic, at 100 Shield St., in the Elmwood section of West Hartford. A significant increase in both counseling appointments and clients served during the past year prompted the move from the former space on Farmington Avenue.
The clinic offers nine counseling offices allowing for additional therapists and enabling the organization to better meet the growing demand for counseling services.
Located on the borders of West Hartford and Hartford and in close proximity to Newington, the new location provides easier access to mental health care for children and families living in Elmwood and the surrounding neighborhoods. The counseling programs offered in the clinic provide crisis counseling, stabilization, and individual, couple, and family therapy. They promote mental health, improve functioning, and effectively decrease the prevalence and incidence of mental illness, emotional disturbances, and social dysfunction. The services are available to every individual and family regardless of their ability to pay.
The Bridge serves more than 1,200 people annually through its counseling services and related support groups. It is estimated that 600 clients will be seen during this fiscal year at Bridge Elmwood. One-on-one therapeutic sessions are conducted in the clinic, although the option for clients to meet using Telehealth is still available.
“We are excited to broaden our footprint in the Elmwood section of West Hartford. Having the clinic located along a bus line makes it easier for children and families in this area to access our services while remaining a convenient site for all West Hartford residents,” said Margaret Hann, Executive Director of the Bridge Family Center. She concluded, “With the current COVID-19 health crisis and historic job losses, the demand for mental health services has never been greater, and we expect to see a continued rise well after the pandemic is over. Our larger facility ensures we will be able to care for all those who come to us seeking hope and healing.”
While the Bridge has vacated its space at 1038 Farmington Ave., it will still maintain a presence in the center of West Hartford. The organization recently purchased property at 1021 Farmington Ave. to house a counseling center. Extensive renovations are underway and plans are to open the facility in the spring of 2021.
To make an appointment for counseling, contact the Bridge Family Center at 860-313-1119. The Bridge Family Center serves approximately 9,000 youth and families each year. In addition to its central office, counseling center, Family Resource Center and Teen Center in West Hartford, the Bridge also offers counseling centers in Avon and Rockville and short term assessment and respite homes in and around Hartford County.
Windsor Senior Center offers virtual programs, weekly coffee connection
WINDSOR — The Windsor Senior Center presents the following programs. Conference call Bingo will take place every first and third Monday at 1 p.m. Register with the Windsor Senior Center by calling 860-285-1992 and you will be provided with the call-in information.
Bingo cards can be picked up at the center, delivered to those who do not drive, or staff can email you a link to your card. Details: Four cards per person. If you get a confirmed Bingo on the last round, you will be mailed a prize. There is no cost to participate. Visit www.townofwindsorct.com/senior-services for more information.
Weekly Coffee Connection: Every Thursday morning, via Zoom, at 9 a.m., for coffee and connecting. The link can be accessed on our town website at www.townofwindsorct.com/senior-services. Call 860-285-1992 for more information.
CRT Elderly Nutrition Program: The Windsor Senior Center and the Community Renewal Team continues to deliver meals right to your home. If you are new to the program, a “Form 5” must be filled out to receive the meals which can be done over the phone. Deliveries are made on Wednesdays starting at 11 a.m. and you will receive five frozen meals for the week. Seniors ages 60 or older interested in having meals delivered to them may call 860-285-1843. Cost of the meal is a $2.50 donation.
Northwest Park Country Fair changes format for 2020
WINDSOR — The 38th annual Northwest Park Country Fair, one of Windsor’s top fall draws, is being held this year in your yards, in your gardens and on your own computers. This event, sponsored by The Friends of Northwest Park promises to be different than ever before, yet capturing most of the elements from previous fairs.
Traditionally held on the third Saturday of September, this year’s fair is on now and will run through September and throughout the town, ending with the grand finale at the park on Sept. 26. Prizes for the events will be given out at this finale, as well as offering some traditional country fair games for attendees.
The scarecrow competition will be held from participant’s own yards, and pumpkin decorating will take place right in their own homes. Other events include a scavenger hunt, a cow patty time pool, and a seasonal curb-appeal competition.
The gardening and egg-drop competitions remain the same as previous years. Participants can still show off their home-grown flowers and vegetables via photos or submit their nature photos taken around Windsor and neighboring towns. Visit northwestpark.org for more information.
Anti-racism workshops taking place in October, November
AREA — NCCJ is offering virtual anti-racism workshops, as personal and professional development opportunity. Two-day workshops will take place on Oct. 15 and 16, and Nov. 12 and 13. These sessions will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., eastern time.
The October and November workshops are two full-day sessions. The workshop will be co-facilitated by Cynthia Martin, NCCJ President & CEO; Nyaunu Stevens, NCCJ Director of Programs; and Kris Wraight, Social & Restorative Justice Educator (July workshop only). The workshop’s topics include definitions and terms; the history of racism and how it informs where we are today; how racism impacts everyone, generation after generation; how to talk effectively and compassionately about racism; real life skills to interrupt all forms of bias and discrimination and ways to take action and build toward equality in your workplace and community.
Registration is required. Zoom information will be provided upon registration. Participants must be able to attend both days.
The fee is $300 per person. Continuing Education Credits will be given for successful completion of the two-day session. Financial aid may be available. Note: These sessions will not be recorded. Visit https://www.nccj.org/antiracism for more information or to register.
