Hamden's Silverbells Festival to Light Up Town Center Park

 

Hamden's annual Silverbells celebration will be filled with holiday lights and community merrymaking. The winter holiday festival, to be held on from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday Dec. 4, (rain date: Dec. 5, 3 - 6 pm), will include a puppet show and face painting indoors, and hayrides, carousel rides, holiday crafts, a tree-lighting ceremony, community caroling and Santa's arrival by fire truck at Town Center Park.  Jordan and Taylor Jacques have been asked to light the tree.

 

Attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for Hamden's toy drive.

 

FRIDAY FROLIC WITH THE ELKS AND WHITNEY PLAYERS

Hamden Lodge #2224 presents a Cabaret Night fundraiser featuring entertainment by the Whitney Players on Friday, Dec. 3 at the Hamden Lodge, 175 School Street. 5 to 10 p.m. Adults $25, children under 12 $12.50. Buffet dinner, cash bar. Proceeds to benefit the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and the Whitney Players. For more information or tickets contact, Gary Prosco (203) 887-4755.    

The Hamden Lodge #2224 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elk's will be conducting its annual memorial service on at 1 p.m. Sunday Dec. 5. Speaking will be lodge member, Rev. Owen Sanderson. This service will be honoring the following 12 members who have died since the service of December 2010: Leonard Westwood, Robert Schick, Walter Cleary, George Gray, Walter Remian, Pasquale Barbato, John Cuozzo,  Charles Hahn, John Jurkiewicz, Sean Gallagher, Dr. Robert Reynolds and Joseph Bourneuf.

All  family or friends of these departed members are welcome to attend this remembrance service. Contact Karen Forsyth at (203) 887-2967 or the Hamden Elk's Lodge (203) 248-2224 for information.

SILVERBELLS ART EXHIBITION OPENS DEC. 7

  

The Hamden Art League will celebrate the holiday season with its annual Silverbells Art Exhibition December 7 - 21, 2010 at the Miller Memorial Library Senior Center,

2901 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden

.  The show will feature original oils, acrylics, watercolors, graphics, pastels and mixed media by Hamden Art League members, with many pieces available for purchase.  Viewing will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Juror of awards will be John Falato, a painter and professor of art at Paier College of Art in Hamden.  An opening reception will be held on Tuesday, December 7 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. in the Social Hall of the Senior Center.  The public is invited to attend.  www.hamdenartleague.com

WREATHS ARE COMING!

On December 8, 2010, Wreaths Across America will stop at Hamden Middle School en-route to Arlington National cemetery.  Wreaths Across America will donate approximately 12,000 wreaths to be placed on the headstones at Arlington National Cemetery as well as another 100,00 at 24 veterans’ cemeteries, and aboard several U.S. ships.  Their route into Hamden will be off the Route 40 Connector, down Whitney to Dixwell and then into the Hamden Middle School. They will return around noon on the same route. People are urged to salute them.

·        10:45 AM – Four trailer trucks with ten other vehicles accompanied by American Legion riders along with a Connecticut State Police and Hamden Police Department escort will arrive.  A presentation to students will follow in Veterans Memorial Auditorium of the middle school, 2623 Dixwell Ave.  Students will accompany WAA officials for a wreath laying ceremony at the Hamden Veterans Monument.

·        11:45 – WAA departs HMS.

Please contact Abner Oakes at 203-215-4675 or Gerry Tobin in the Mayor’s Office  203-287-7102  for further information. 

***A pancake breakfast will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 20 at Dunbar United Church of Christ, 419 Dunbar Hill Road, Hamden, to raise money for a scholarship fund for a secondary school in Rwanda.

Located in Ndera, Rwanda, the College Doctrina Vitae provides educational opportunities for students directly impacted by the Rwandan genocide, and houses the majority of students on their campus.

Suggested donations for the pancake breakfast are $5 for adults and $3 for school-aged children. Children aged four and under will be admitted for free. Donations will also be accepted.

***The Hamden Lions Club will be collecting food in front of ShopRite in the Hamden Plaza, 2300 Dixwell Ave., on Sunday.

Members will be collecting non-perishable food items until 4 p.m. to help needy families for Thanksgiving.

***Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson is looking for a Christmas tree for its annual display at Freedom Park at Whitney and Dixwell avenues. Anyone who would like to donate a tree should contact the mayor’s office at 203-287-7100.

*** Trash and recycling pick-ups usually scheduled on Thursdays and Fridays will be postponed for a day due to Thanksgiving on Thursday, Hamden officials said.

Collections that take place on Thursdays will take place Friday and Friday’s pickups will take place on Saturday.

Any questions can be addressed to the Help Desk at 203-287-7676.

Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at Dunbar Church

A pancake breakfast will be held on Saturday, November 20 from 8AM to Noon at Dunbar United Church of Christ in Hamden.  All proceeds of the event will benefit the scholarship fund of College Doctrina Vitae (CDV).

CDV, a private secondary school located in Ndera, Rwanda, provides educational opportunities for students directly impacted by the Rwandan genocide, as well as younger generations that are indirectly affected.  The school will not turn any student away and houses the majority of students on their campus.  The curriculum at CDV provides students with an honest and impartial national history and encourages extracurricular activities structured around the needs of a community that is trying to rebuild after genocide.

Suggested donations for the pancake breakfast are $5 for adults (16 and over), and $3 for school aged children.  Children aged four and under are free.  Donations are welcome the day of the event.  Dunbar United Church of Christ is located at

767 Benham Street

, on the corner of

Benham Street

and

Dunbar Hill Road

. 

 

Holly Berry Festival & Craft Show

The Holly Berry Festival which benefits the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Retirement Fund is on Friday, November 19 from 3-8 P.M. and Saturday, November 20 from 10 A.M. - 3 P.M. at Sacred Heart Academy, 265 Benham Street, Hamden, CT.

 A major sponsor of this event is Stop & Shop.  Both days feature 60crafters, many with holiday crafts and gifts, specialty foods, like peppers and sausage, fried dough, home-made clam chowder, home-made breads, cookies and candies. 

Children and family attractions include: photos with Santa, a fishing pond, face painting, lollipop tree, craft and more. 

On Friday night from 5-7 P.M., there's a ziti dinner complete with meatballs, salad, rolls, beverage and dessert. Also, Friday night from 5-7 P.M.  Dr. Mel Goldstein will be signing "Dr. Mel's Climate Book" (proceeds of book sales benefit Dr. Mel's Multiple Myeloma Research Fund at Yale Cancer Center ).  

On Saturday, November 20 from 10 A.M. - 3 P.M. Home Depot will have a Kid's Craft Corner
(craft projects are complimentary courtesy of Home Depot). 

For crafter information, Ziti Dinner tickets, or any questions call
Sr. Catherine at (203) 248-4031.

Sitting at last week's Board of Selectmen meeting in North Haven I let out the word, "Finally," when First Selectman Michael J. Freda announced the town was checking out whether there were grants available to help make the Memorial Town Hall on Church Street become accessible to the handicapped. Town Hall is a beautiful buidling. There is a handicapped ramp in the front, but if you can't make it up the steps on your own, then you can't get to the second floor. Presently, I'm suffering from a horrible case of  heel pain, orthotics and all. So, it's hard enough for me to ambulate. I can only imagine how frustrating this is for someone who is truly disabled. Freda also said updates of the police station may also be in the works.
Freda also announced that Ballou's Wine Bar, a bistro now on the Guilford Green, will be opening a second place in the former Hollywood Video spot on upper Washington Ave.

American Legion Post 76 in North Haven is hosting a program on bonding and revenue trends in state government at 7 p.m. Thursday Nov. 18 at the post home, 20 Church St.
State Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, a ranking a member of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, will be the guest speaker.
The hour-long program is free and open to the public. Questions will be taken.

Hamden Public Schools and the Hamden Education Association are proud to host the Third Annual “Celebration of Excellence.”  This exciting event will take place on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM at Hamden High School, Room C-107.

This celebration will honor educators who have received special recognition for their outstanding accomplishments during the last school year.  Also being recognized are teachers who have mentored Hamden’s newest teachers by sharing their knowledge and experience.  Supporting and inspiring their colleagues, these mentors have demonstrated a true commitment to education.

In addition, 11 teachers will be honored as exemplary teachers representing their respective schools, including Larry Stein from Ridge Hill who has been chosen as Hamden’s Teacher of the Year.  These outstanding educators will be presented with awards donated by the Hamden Chamber of Commerce and individual Hamden businesses.

HAMDEN -- The Hamden Girls’ U-14 Hockey Team will be collecting food this weekend in front of the ice rink on Mix Avenue.

The food drive will benefit the town’s food bank at the Keefe Community Center, according to mother-manager Tracy Lepper. The drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

THIS FROM THE HAMDEN ELKS

ELKS Americanism Essay Contest

Hamden Lodge #2224 is proud to announce that the theme for the 2010-11 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Americanism Essay Contest is “Why I am proud to be an American.” The essay contest starts with the Subordinate Lodges, progresses through District and State levels, and ends with the national winners. This very important Patriotic Contest gives school children in grades 5-8 the opportunity to express their views on why they are proud to be Americans.

At our Lodge level, this contest is open to children attending public and private schools in North Haven and Hamden. Cover sheet forms and guidelines available at the lodge or by calling Karen Forsyth at (203) 887-2967, the Lodge (203) 248-2224 or Ellasandra Davis at (203) 376-0600. Lodge level essays are to be submitted by  December 20th to be judged by committee prior to proceeding to the District level.

This press release from QU:

Hamden, Conn. – Nov. 3, 2010 - Three Quinnipiac University professors will take part in the panel discussion, “Aging and Older Adulthood,” from 3-4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12, at the School of Health Sciences, Room 290, on the North Haven Campus.

Marcy Sanders, professor of occupational therapy, Catherine Solomon, associate professor of sociology, and Kathleen Zettergren, associate professor of physical therapy, will discuss issues related to aging, including retirement, work, family and fall prevention.

Julianne Gardner, a gerontology major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Keniel McLennon, an occupational therapy major in the School of Health Sciences, will serve as student discussants, providing insights and thought-provoking questions.

This event, which is part of Quinnipiac’s Scholarship Across the Disciplines series, is free and open to the public.

For more information, please call 203-582-8652.

NEWS FROM THE WHITNEY PLAYERS

The Whitney Players Theater Company is holding auditions for “Pippin”, and “Jungle Book”, Tuesday,  December 7^th  from 6 to 9:30 pm.  Please bring sheet music to sing, and be prepared to dance.  Pippin will be a teen show and Jungle Book is for the younger actors.  Rehearsals begin in January and the shows will both run in March, 2011.  Auditions will take place at Thornton Wilder Auditorium, in the Miller Library Complex, 2901 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden.  The show is co-sponsored by the Hamden Arts Commission and is being directed by Cindy Simell-Devoe and choreographed by Joan Christensen. For more info, go to our website:  http://www.thewhitneyplayers.org/ or  call 203-281-6007.

 

Good luck to all candidates and parties in Tuesday's election.
And here's a message from the North Haven Clean Energy Tax Force:

The Clean Energy Task Force will be stationed at the polls today, according to Letty McPhedran.
The task force, teaming up with Students for the Environment from North Haven High School will have tables at all the polls so that after people vote, they may learn about and sign up for clean energy, McPhedran said.