Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Russell Library - December Events

Russell Library
 Russell Library 123 Broad Street, Middletown, CT
COMING EVENTS AT RUSSELL LIBRARY

Russell Library Hours for December 2017
Russell Library, 123 Broad Street in Middletown has hours: Mondays 10am – 6pm; Tuesdays 10am – 8pm; Wednesdays 1pm – 8pm; Thursdays 10am – 8pm; Fridays 10am – 6pm; Saturdays 10am – 2pm. Sundays 1pm – 4pm. The library will be closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas day on Sunday and Monday, December 24 and 25, and for New Year’s Eve on Sunday, December 31. All library programs are free of charge.
PROGRAMS  
Donate New Socks and Mittens!  
Throughout December. The Lobby, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Come celebrate the holidays by donating new socks and mittens. Russell Library staff will be collecting them throughout the month and pass them along to the local shelters.
 
Sponsored by the Friends of the Russell Library.
Racial Justice Book Group

The group will not meet on January 2, 2018 but will resume on February 6, 2018 with The Warmth of Other Suns: the epic story of America’s great migration by Isabel Wilkerson.
We Were There: Writing Your Military Experiences
Thursday, December 28, 6:30pm. Meeting Room 2, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Veterans are invited to share their stories and photos in their own voices. We encourage new members to visit us to see what we are all about! Old Saybrook native Elisabeth Petry leads the group. She is a writer and former journalist and lawyer. Her first book, a collection of letters that she edited, was Can Anything Beat White?: A Black Family's Letters. Her second is At Home Inside: A Daughter’s Tribute to Ann Petry. She lives in Middletown with her husband, Lawrence Riley, Commander of the American Legion Milardo-Wilcox Post 75, Middletown, CT.
The workshop facilitator is Christy Billings. She can be reached at (860) 347-2528 or cbillings@russelllibrary.org
Sponsored by The Friends of the Russell Library.
The group will not meet in January or February but will resume in March, 2018.

Winter Dance Party
Tuesday, December 26, 10:30am. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Come shake your sillies out and more! 
For ages 3 - 8 (Preschool to 2nd Grade) siblings welcome!
Drop in; no registration.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Russell Library
Captain Underpants: the first epic movie
Wednesday, December 27, 2:00pm. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Prepare yourself for a silly movie based on Dav Pilkey books. The film is rated PG for mild rude humor.
For ages 5 – 14 (grades k – 8). Siblings welcome!
Drop in; no registration. 
Sponsored by the Friends of the Russell Library.

Monday, December 25, 2017

Roots in Ripon - Santa as a Kid



Santa image from Ripley Library

Roots in Ripon
Chuck Roots
25 December 2017
The Ripon Bulletin

I trust you all had a blessed and Merry Christmas! Our family got together several times during the month of December, each time having lots of fun and laughter. 

On Saturday afternoon we were sitting around the living room chatting merrily away when our ten-year-old granddaughter Alyssa, asked if she could read some of the short stories she has been writing. Apparently, her fourth-grade teacher at Colony Oak Elementary has been working with the kids on their writing skills. Not just composition, but the formation of thought, development of ideas, along with sentence structure and expanded vocabulary. 

Intrigued, we six adults in the room encouraged her by all means to read her stories. The favorite story is one entitled, Santa as a Kid. We all laughed at this twist on the Christmas character so readily recognized. I asked Alyssa if I might share it with my friends who read my weekly Roots in Ripon column. She happily agreed. I made only a few punctuation changes. Otherwise, this is exactly how Alyssa wrote her story. 

Santa as a Kid

Everyone has to be a kid once in their life. This is about Santa as a kid. You probably don’t think much about it because in all the stories he is a jolly old guy. He is actually Santa the 15th, so when he was little he liked to play games. 

Video games were just coming out and Santa the 15th wanted to play some of the games that came out. So, Mrs. Claus took him to a store and bought some games. She told him he had to promise to not be on it all the time. When they got back home they put it together and Santa 15th started to play on it right away. Time passed so quickly it felt like morning a couple minutes ago. Now it is nighttime. Mrs. Claus called upstairs to Santa 15th for dinner. He said he would be a few minutes, but he took two hours! So, Mrs. Claus came storming up the stairs and burst into his room. “That is enough playing games for today!” she yelled.  

Friday, December 22, 2017

First Church of Christ Community Christmas Dinner!


Volunteers are needed for many different tasks. People are needed early in the day to help prepare food and set up the dining room. People are needed to wash dishes, clean tables and greet guests. People are needed to deliver meals to patients at CVH and to those who are unable to leave their homes, and to interact with guests. One year, a lady came in a Santa suit; everybody loved it!
Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Parents can bringing their children to help out; it is a great opportunity for them to learn the spirit of giving and community service and involvement. (Check with Julie Hurlburt as to what age is appropriate.)

Folks who cannot make it early in the day are welcome to come in later and help with the final clean up and relieve those who have been there since the early morning hours.

There is a piano in the dining hall and sound equipment is available. Two years ago, my next door neighbors, the Latronica family (AKA the "Von Trapp" family), came with their children and sang carols for the diners.

Musicians and singers, amateur or professional, are welcome.

Monetary donations are graciously accepted, in addition to foodstuffs.
Contact Julie Hurlburt for further details; her contact info is in the flyer.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Photo of the Day

Check the date they are supposed to report on. Provided by State Rep. Doug Dubitsky

If you have a great photo from anywhere in Connecticut that you would like to share, please forward it for consideration for the Photo of the Day to MiddletownInsider@gmail.com. 
(Unless otherwise credited, all photos are by the editor.)

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Russell Library - December Events

Russell Library
 Russell Library 123 Broad Street, Middletown, CT
COMING EVENTS AT RUSSELL LIBRARY

Russell Library Hours for December 2017
Russell Library, 123 Broad Street in Middletown has hours: Mondays 10am – 6pm; Tuesdays 10am – 8pm; Wednesdays 1pm – 8pm; Thursdays 10am – 8pm; Fridays 10am – 6pm; Saturdays 10am – 2pm. Sundays 1pm – 4pm. The library will be closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas day on Sunday and Monday, December 24 and 25, and for New Year’s Eve on Sunday, December 31. All library programs are free of charge.
PROGRAMS  
Donate New Socks and Mittens!  
Throughout December. The Lobby, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Come celebrate the holidays by donating new socks and mittens. Russell Library staff will be collecting them throughout the month and pass them along to the local shelters.
 
Twos are Terrific
Tuesday, December  and 19, 10:30am. The Activity Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. This librarian-led program is designed to increase two-year-olds’ literacy and social skills as they enjoy story time, movement, music and play time with other toddlers and their families.
For two year olds (24 - 35 months). Siblings welcome! 
Drop in; no registration required. 

Sponsored by the Friends of the Russell Library.
Racial Justice Book Group

The group will not meet on January 2, 2018 but will resume on February 6, 2018 with The Warmth of Other Suns: the epic story of America’s great migration by Isabel Wilkerson.
Baby Rhyme Time  
Wednesday, December 20, 4:30pm. The Activity Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. Looking for something to do with your infant or toddler? Come join us for Baby Rhyme Time, a program for babies one year and under and their caregivers. We'll sing songs, learn rhymes, finger plays and more in this fun, interactive program.
For babies birth-12 months and their caregivers. Siblings welcome!
Drop in; no registration.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Russell Library.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Editor's Note:

It has been a very long time since this editor has had a break and it is long past due.  Therefore, until sometime after the first of the year, posts will be few and far between.  I look forward to getting back into full swing.

Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 17, 2017

First Church of Christ Community Christmas Dinner!

 
Volunteers are needed for many different tasks. People are needed early in the day to help prepare food and set up the dining room. People are needed to wash dishes, clean tables and greet guests. People are needed to deliver meals to patients at CVH and to those who are unable to leave their homes, and to interact with guests. One year, a lady came in a Santa suit; everybody loved it!
Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Parents can bringing their children to help out; it is a great opportunity for them to learn the spirit of giving and community service and involvement. (Check with Julie Hurlburt as to what age is appropriate.)

Folks who cannot make it early in the day are welcome to come in later and help with the final clean up and relieve those who have been there since the early morning hours.

There is a piano in the dining hall and sound equipment is available. Two years ago, my next door neighbors, the Latronica family (AKA the "Von Trapp" family), came with their children and sang carols for the diners.

Musicians and singers, amateur or professional, are welcome.

Monetary donations are graciously accepted, in addition to foodstuffs.
Contact Julie Hurlburt for further details; her contact info is in the flyer.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Reps. Sampson, Fusco and Sen. Markley Raise More Than $27,000 for Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign



Walmart Pledges to Match Donation Up to $25,000

SOUTHINGTONState Representatives Rob Sampson (R-80), John Fusco (R-81) and Sen. Joe Markley (R-16) rang the bells for the Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign at the Walmart in Southington on Monday, December 11th. Together, they raised $27,490.25, which Walmart has pledged to match up to $25,000.

“We live in a community where neighbors look out for one another, and when one of us falls on hard times, we are there to support them,” said Rep. Sampson. “Each year I participate in this campaign and it is a humbling experience. I encourage my constituents to reach out to those in need this holiday season and to remember this is the season of giving. This is an overwhelmingly generous district and I am proud to represent it.”

“The turnout for our hour of bell ringing was amazing and I’m glad we were able to raise so much to help people right here in our community this holiday season,” Rep. Fusco said. “Christmas is the giving season and, once again, the people of Southington demonstrated their strong support for others by donating very generously.”

“Once again the people of Southington have exceeded all expectations for generosity,” Sen. Markley said. “The best part of this event is that the money stays in our community. I’d like to thank Walmart for again matching donations.”

The funds raised across the state will help the Salvation Army provide basic social services to those in need of food, shelter, clothing, and financial assistance. As a group, the Republican caucuses have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Salvation Army over the past several years. The Salvation Army responds to natural disasters such as wildfires and tornadoes, provides meals and toys to families in need, and conducts research and analyses regarding human needs around the country. They also provide adult rehabilitation, veteran services, elderly services, missing person searches, housing assistance, youth recreation, sponsorship, and support in the fight to end human trafficking.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Fructify

 
 
Merriam-Webster  
 
WORD OF THE DAY
December 15, 2017
 
 
 
 
 
fructify Audio pronunciation
 
verb | FRUK-tuh-fye  
 
Definition
 
:
to bear fruit
 
:
to make fruitful or productive
 
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Fructify derives from Middle English fructifien and ultimately from the Latin noun fructus, meaning "fruit." When the word was first used in English in the 14th century, it literally referred to the actions of plants that bore fruit; later it was used transitively to refer to the action of making something fruitful, such as soil. The word also expanded to encompass a figurative sense of "fruit," and it is now more frequently used to refer to the giving forth of something in profit from something else (such as dividends from an investment). Fructus also gave us the name of the sugar fructose, as well as usufruct, which refers to the legal right to enjoy the fruits or profits of something that belongs to someone else.
 
 
Examples of FRUCTIFY

The White House - 1600 Daily: The closing argument for tax reform

First Lady Melania Trump attends a Toy for Tots event | December 13, 2017 (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks) 

The closing argument for tax reform
President Donald J. Trump spoke before a crowd in the White House Grand Foyer yesterday to lay out—in concrete terms—what tax cuts would mean for the typical American household. “As we speak, Congress has reached an agreement on tax legislation that will deliver more jobs, higher wages, and massive tax relief for American families and for American companies,” the President said.
Here’s the President’s case by the numbers:
  • $2,000+: What the typical family of four earning $75,000 will see in income tax cuts, slashing their tax bill in half
  • $4,000: How much incomes are expected to rise across the board as a result of tax cuts on U.S. businesses
  • 1/3: The amount one sample Ohio family in the 25-percent bracket and paying nearly $14,000 in taxes would reduce their yearly tax burden
  • 3%: The level of growth the U.S. economy has already surged to—tax reform would take it even further
Watch President Trump and five working families make the case for tax reform.
Bonus: “Tax bill is Christmas present Americans have been waiting for,” says Alfredo Ortiz

‘Transparency and engagement is the right way to go’

Red Notes From a Blue State - Victory for On-Campus Free Speech



Wintrich Vindicated: Torquemada At UConn

Lucian Wintrich is the intolerable conservative nuisance – and victim – who was arrested by UConn police and charged with breach of peace for having made an unsuccessful attempt to exercise his First Amendment rights at Connecticut’s flagship university. Wintrich had been invited to speak by the University of Connecticut Young Republican Club on campus.  
A raucous crowd – seeded, one commentator noted, with fascists – prevented Wintrich from delivering his thoughts on “It’s OK To Be White.”

The speech, which no one appears to have read, is a defense of a slogan launched by 4chan, the anonymous meme center of the internet, “It’s OK To Be White,” the title of Wintrich’s address. It contains one screamingly offensive, intentionally provocative line – “There are currently two Americas, one full of cherry-trees, apple pie capitalism and pragmatism and another, bizarro, America run by illegal immigrant tranny communists" – that Wintrich’s Mom, had he consulted her, probably would have edited out. But otherwise, the address is an attack on leftist identity politics.
Wintrich closed his speech on an anti-alt-right note: “Now I don’t want you running off and joining the alt-right. As conservatives, we should all reject white nationalism on principle. It’s collectivist for all the wrong reasons and it’s anti-capitalist. It says race is more important than the individual and doesn’t want competition from other races.” The speech was ended by fascists in the crowd before this declaration. Wintrich’s preferred slogan, “It’s OK to be White,” the speaker noted, “is not a white nationalist one. Don’t let the media fool you. It can’t tell racism from anti-racist.”
The fascists were successful in preventing the speaker from delivering his remarks, later printed in full by the Gateway Pundit. And when a woman, disputing with Wintrich at the lectern, stole his speech and ran up the aisle with it, Wintrich pursued her in an attempt to recover his property. A struggle ensued, UConn police intervened, Wintrich was arrested and hustled by police to a “safe space,” away from disruptive fascists who were prepared to make life difficult for the departing Wintrich when he exited the building, a common tactic among Antifa fascists at other universities. Why does no one consider it odd that universities these days should provide “safe spaces” for disrupters of the peace, but not for speakers whom the disrupters successfully shout down? And why must speakers be arrested to protect them from fascists? Why not arrest the fascists?

FBI Releases 2016 NIBRS Crime Statistics in Report and CDE, Promotes Transition of Agencies

2016 NIBRS Data Released
On December 11, the FBI released details on more than 6.1 million criminal offenses reported via the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in 2016. The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s latest report, NIBRS, 2016, presents data about victims, known offenders, and relationships for 52 offenses, which, for the first time, include animal cruelty offenses and the fraud offenses of identity theft and hacking/computer invasion. The report also provides arrest data for those crimes as well as 10 additional offenses for which only arrest data is collected.

Although NIBRS data is not yet nationally representative, 37.1 percent of all law enforcement agencies that participated in the UCR Program in 2016 submitted their data via NIBRS. The FBI expects that number to rise as more agencies make the transition from the traditional Summary Reporting System to NIBRS. Ultimately, the detailed data will provide a better understanding of crime issues from one locale to another, indicate trends, and help law enforcement make more informed policing decisions. To reach more user platforms, the FBI is presenting NIBRS data through the report, an interactive map, and the UCR Program’s Crime Data Explorer (CDE). CDE is an interactive tool that allows users to build customized data tables.

Top Story - 2016 NIBRS Data Released

Highlights of NIBRS, 2016
In 2016, 6,849 law enforcement agencies, representing coverage of more than 100 million U.S. inhabitants, submitted NIBRS data. Agency-level data is available for the reporting year through an interactive NIBRS map found on the home page of the electronic publication, as well as in offense tables that present statistics for each agency that reported 12 months of NIBRS data.
  • Based on aggregate data, NIBRS agencies reported 5,237,106 incidents involving 6,101,034 offenses, 6,437,018 victims, and 4,963,644 known offenders. (Currently, the FBI does not estimate for agencies that do not submit NIBRS data.)
  • There were 3,261,521 arrestees reported through NIBRS.
  • Of the reported offenses, 62.5 percent were crimes against property, 22.7 percent were crimes against persons, and 14.8 percent were crimes against society, which now include animal cruelty offenses in addition to crimes such as gambling and prostitution. (Due to rounding, percentage breakdowns may not total 100.0 percent.)
A closer look at other aggregate data in NIBRS, 2016 shows the following:
Victims
NIBRS victim types, collected for all reported offenses, may be an individual, a business, an institution, or society as a whole.
  • Of the 4,460,994 individual victims reported in 2016, 23.8 percent were between 21 and 30 years of age.
  • A little more than half (50.9 percent) were female, 48.3 percent were male, and gender was unknown for 0.8 percent.

Mercy High School - "Picture Yourself as a Mercy Girl"


Thursday, December 14, 2017

Photo of the Day

Downy woodpecker, waiting for our Charlie Company troops to come home from Iraq, 2006

If you have a great photo from anywhere in Connecticut that you would like to share, please forward it for consideration for the Photo of the Day to MiddletownInsider@gmail.com. 
(Unless otherwise credited, all photos are by the editor.)

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Gravamen


 
Merriam-Webster  
 
WORD OF THE DAY
December 14, 2017
 
 
 
 
Britannica Kids
gravamen Audio pronunciation
 
noun | gruh-VAY-mun  
 
Definition
 
:
the material or significant part of a grievance or complaint
 
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Did You Know?
 
Gravamen is not a word you hear every day, but it does show up occasionally in modern-day publications. It comes from the Latin verb gravare, meaning "to burden," and ultimately from the Latin adjective gravis, meaning "heavy." Fittingly, gravamen refers to the part of a grievance or complaint that gives it

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