North End News

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

2012-01-30T14:37:00.005-05:00

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!

2012-01-30T13:40:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-30T13:28:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-19T17:12:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-13T12:10:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-12T16:51:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-10T13:13:00.004-05:00

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

2012-01-06T15:27:00.003-05:00

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!!

2012-01-05T12:36:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-04T17:24:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-04T17:16:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-04T17:02:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-03T16:34:00.002-05:00

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 .

Middnight On Main

2011-12-28T13:51:00.002-05:00

SATURDAY DECEMBER 31, 2011
3 PM TO MIDNIGHT
WWW.MIDDNIGHT.ORG

FIREWORKS AT 6PM

Enjoy more than 100 performances and activities at more than 12 locations within 4 blocks of Main Street.

Magic. Sword Swallowing. Rock Bands. Chess Matches. Japanese Taiko Drumming. Comedy. Irish Step Dance. Crafts. Kidcity Play. Jazz. Contra Dance. Roller Skating. Gospel Funk. Speed Dating. Funny Films. Piano Sing-a-long. Brazilian Capoeria. Fiddle Music. Break Dance Lessons. Wizard Rock. Matt's Physics Lab. Hula-hooping. West African Drumming & more!

Slate for Advisory Board Elections

2011-12-07T15:37:00.004-05:00

Voting for the Advisory Board Elections will take place at our January 4, 2012 General Meeting.

The following is the slate of nominees up for election:
(Terms are for two years.)

Cookie Quinones
Michael Taylor
Rob Rosenthal
Carlton Dobson
Dmitri D'Alessandro

Sandra Wise

Hope to see you tonight and please come out to our January meeting to vote!

NEAT HOLIDAY PARTY!!

2011-12-06T16:35:00.001-05:00

NEAT ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY DECEMBER 7, 2011

2011-12-05T13:39:00.001-05:00

Join us for NEAT's annual holiday party. The party will be help this Wednesday night at 7 pm at the Green Street Arts Center. The event is a potluck so feel free to bring your favorite desert savory or sweet to share with the group. If you don't have time to whip up a dish feel free to join us anyway. We will bring extras.

The NEAT Glee club will be there to perform a song.

We look forward to seeing our friends, neighbors and stakeholders!

If you know that you will be attending and bringing a dish let us know (you can comment here or call the office) (860) 346-4845

Thank you!

Choice Application Period is Open!

2011-11-23T12:14:00.002-05:00

The Greater Hartford Regional Open Choice Application period is now open. Open Choice gives you choices on what school you would like your child to attend in the Greater Hartford Area. The application deadline is January 20, 2011. The website has more details so please take a look. More information from NEAT will be available. Information is available in Spanish.

YOUR ACTION NEEDED FOR MIDDLETOWN BIKE-WAY

2011-11-21T12:16:00.000-05:00

The Jonah Center for Earth and Art invites the public – especially those who ride bicycles and are interested in making our city more “bicycle-friendly” – to attend 2 important meetings. The reason: Middletown has an excellent chance to receive $800,000 in U.S. Dep’t of Transportation funds for infrastructure to make urban areas more bicycle-friendly.

The first meeting is on Tuesday, November 29, at 5:30 p.m. in Room 208 of City Hall. Middletown’s Director of Planning, Conservation and Development, Bill Warner, will present a bicycling “master plan.” Public input on the details of the plan and support for the project in general is being sought.

To meet the grant application deadline of December 21, this matter needs to come before the Common Council at the Dec. 5, 7 p.m. meeting in the Council Chambers. A public demonstration of support by large attendance and some spoken testimony at the beginning of this meeting is needed. We hope Middletown will take advantage of this exciting opportunity to join sustainability-minded communities around the nation and become more bicycle-friendly.

END HUNGER CT SNAP ALERT: REPLACEMENT SNAP

2011-11-18T14:59:00.001-05:00

If you or someone you know received SNAP benefits in October then an automatic 15% of those benefits will be added into your or their account as replacement for lost food from the early winter storm Albert.

SNAP recipients will receive an automatic 15% replacement of SNAP benefits, which will be added to EBT cards and made available next week.

SNAP recipients will also receive a replacement for the supplement issued on October 11th for Tropical Storm Irene.

Request for additional funds over the 15% replacement can be requested by calling 2-1-1 or visiting their website no later than midnight Friday, November 18th.

The amount of the 15% mass reissuance, plus the individual replacement request, cannot be more than their October benefits, including any TS Irene supplements received on Oct. 11th.

COMMUNITY MUSIC INITIATIVE UPCOMING EVENT

2011-11-18T14:43:00.003-05:00

Community Music is meeting this Saturday, November 19th, 11-1 for Jamaican Drumming and Singing and a big old potluck-style lunch. Bring friends and family and a lunch contribution if you're planning ahead! This program is great for families with kids age 5-13. CMI meets at the Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green Street. See you then! Contact, Emily or the NEAT office for more details. No sign-ups are required.

Urgent Need for Turkeys Issued to Fill Thanksgiving Baskets

2011-11-17T15:43:00.001-05:00

The Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project (MCTP) has registered 350 Middletown families for Thanksgiving baskets this year. However, with less than two weeks remaining until Thanksgiving, the MCTP is falling short of turkey donations to fill those baskets.

“The MCTP is short approximately 100 turkeys to make the holiday meals complete,” said Brenda Simmons, project manager of MCTP.

The public is being asked to donate frozen turkeys. If you can help, a refrigerated truck will be stationed at Fellowship Church, 1002 Saybrook Road in Middletown on this Saturday, November 19^th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to receive turkey donations. The truck has been donated by Jukonski Trucks of Middletown.

For additional information and other ways to help, call Brenda Simmons at (860) 346-8695.

State Senator Paul Doyle Helps North End Action Team, Inc. Secure Needed Funds for Youth Entrepreneur Program

2011-11-17T14:38:00.001-05:00

State Senator Paul Doyle recently helped secure a $10,000 grant from AT&T
Connecticut to help fund the North End Action Team’s Youth Entrepreneur Program.

The North End Action Team (NEAT) is a grassroots community organization dedicated
to the revitalization and development of indigenous participation and leadership within
the North End neighborhood of Middletown, CT. NEAT’s goal is to identify priorities,
convene process, build partnerships and find solutions to neighborhood issues that lead
to the development of the North End as a socially and economically vibrant
neighborhood.

The Youth Entrepreneur Program is designed to engage local at-risk youth to develop
entrepreneurial skills through the creation of a small business – from the beginning idea
through creating and marketing the product and designing and implementing a retail
space.

“There is a growing need for programs that can create job opportunities and build
workforce-based skills for local youths,” stated State Senator Paul Doyle. “This grant
from AT&T will help to provide program participants with real world experiences and
skills that they can take with them into their careers.”

“NEAT’s Youth Entrepreneur Program will help students develop the networking and
social skills needed to succeed,” stated Izzi Greenberg, Executive Director of NEAT.
“Thanks to Senator Doyle and AT&T, the program will be able to help students identify
their specific talents and interests that will help them thrive in the future.”

"We commend Senator Doyle for his efforts to help NEAT’s Youth Entrepreneur
Program” stated Abby Jewett, Director, External & Legislative Affairs “When we learned
from Senator Doyle about the need for program funding, we were happy to help."

Swearing In Ceremony

2011-11-14T11:35:00.003-05:00

The Swearing in Ceremony for

Mayor-Elect Daniel T. Drew
Common Council
City Treasurer
Planning & Zoning
Board of Education
Board of Assessment Appeals

Will be Tuesday, November 15th , 2011 at 7 pm

Woodrow Wilson Middle School, 370 Hunting Hill Avenue, Middletown CT 06457

Reception to follow in the Cafeteria. Light refreshments will be served.

The Public is Invited and Encouraged to Attend

NEAT MEETING TOMORROW

2011-11-08T16:34:00.003-05:00

Please join us for the monthly NEAT meeting at 7:00pm. The November meeting will be dedicated to a community conversation about the Green Street Arts Center.

If you are an active Green Street participant or if you have never been to Green Street, we want to hear from you! We want to engage in a meaningful conversation about what Green Street means to the community and what you would like to see from GSAC in the coming years.

If you don't join us and share your thoughts we won't know what you want!

Refreshments will be served. Childcare and pizza for the kids will be available.