Here's a few of my favorite photos from this year's 4th of July weekend:

We had cake for my brother Justin during one of this weekend's parties on the river for recently passing his insurance exam.

A local dog who was after my cheeseburger.  He did not succeed.

We soon found out that this mustard had expired in 2006.

Fireworks along the Milford coastline on July 4th.  All residential, but not bad.

My brother Kevin and I took a break from the parties for a hike at Southford Falls State Park.

A view of the falls.

Mickey - our boat driver for the weekend.

Sunday night fireworks on the Housatonic - the best this week.

Update:  I now have one.

Yesterday morning marked my graduation from SCSU.  The rain stopped just in time for the ceremony to begin and I was there with some long-time pals as well as some new ones, so all-in all it was a great day. Connie Chung gave the commencement and told us all that we should "Tweet" and find ways to make a living on the internet, and I was 100% OK with that.

I've been watching this factory slowly come down across the street from my job in New Haven.  It's 99.9% demolished at this point, leaving me with a nice view of East Rock during my commute in.

I finished off a fantastic weekend by checking out the Cherry Blossom Festival in New Haven's Wooster Square. Also checked out some apartments in the area. Just weighing ideas...

Following a morning walk through Central Park on Sunday, I took a train back to Connecticut and drove up to Meriden's Hubbard Park. 

The trail up was a bit disappointing at first.  It was very flat and ran along a highway, but then you hit this footbridge that brings you over the highway and closer towards the ridge and it gets much more interesting.  You cross a wooden bridge, pass a natural spring, and then the trial gets very steep, very fast. 

The view from the top is one of the best I've seen in Connecticut. There's a plaque there that claims the tower has the distinction of being the highest point within 25 miles of the coast between Florida and Maine, but I've read that this isn't true.  Still, it's an amazing view.  You can see Sleeping Giant State Park, New Haven, and the outline of Long Island far off in the distance.   If you're not a hiker but still want to check it out, there's a road that will take you straight to the tower.

I've posted more info about Castle Craig and Hubbel Park including additional photos and a trail map here.

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the "Change Begins Within" benefit concert with headliners Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Radio City Hall in NYC.  The show featured performances by Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Donovan, Paul Horn, Moby, Ben Harper and others.  There were even some unannounced people on stage such as Mike Love (who became teary eyed while reflecting about their famous 1968 trip to India), Jerry Seinfeld, and Howard Stern.

There were some really cool performances during the opening acts, such as Eddie Vedder's experimental performance of "Arc", as well as his collaboration with Ben Harper for a cover of the Queen/David Bowie song "Under Pressure".  But for me, the key moment of night was when Paul McCartney introduced Ringo as the one and only "Billy Sheers" for a side by side performance of "With A Little Help From My Friends".  McCartney performed one of his typical sets, although it was a bit short.  The only unusual song was "Cosmically Conscious", a song he wrote while in India during 1968. 

The setlist:

• Drive My Car
• Jet
• Got to Get You Into My Life
• Let It Be
• Lady Madonna
• Blackbird
  
• Here Today
  
• Band on the Run
  
• Can't Buy Me Love
• With a Little Help From My Friends (with Ringo at mic with Paul)
  Encore
• Cosmically Conscious(with Ringo on drums)
  
• I Saw Her Standing There (with Ringo on drums and Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Donovan, Moby, Sheryl Crow and Bettye LaVette and other artists singing backing vocals)

Afterwards, my friends and I headed out to a pub to finish out the night with a few drinks.  Matt's uncle joined us and offered let us crash at his apartment near Central Park for the night.  This led to another eventful day, but I'll post about that tomorrow.

The cleanup effort along the Naugatuck River in Derby went fantastic.  Dozens of volunteers including every-day citizens, city officials, and UI workers came out to lend a hand.  The sad thing is that while we made a major dent in removing the piles of trash, it would probably take the same amount of volunteers another ten weekends to remove all the garbage that remains.

My friend Ricky and I were quoted in the New Haven Register:

"Derby resident Sean Henri not only walks the greenway but kayaks the Naugatuck and he has seen firsthand the debris that litters what could be a pretty hillside. What he saw from his kayak is what prompted Henri to volunteer Saturday.

“I am shocked. I knew it was bad, but I didn’t know it was this bad,” he said, looking around.

His friend, Ansonia resident Ricky Donnelly, said he hopes residents of houses above the river keep the woods clean from now on.

“I don’t know why people would want that in your backyard. It’s an eyesore,” he said."

Video can be found here.

I've been making an effort to visit some of the state's more "unusual" places lately.  Abandoned buildings, hidden trails, colonial cemeteries... things like that.  One of my most recent adventures: visiting Pleasure Beach in Stratford.  It's Connecticut's largest and most recent ghost town and one of the creepiest places I have ever been to.  I've posted some more info on my other website, the Connecticut Weekender.

Next week I'll be seeing Paul McCartney and Ringo perform at Radio City Music Hall.  Life is good.

The Housatonic Valley Association and city officials from Derby, Connecticut, have announced a "Cleanup of the Naugatuck River Day" on March 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The area being focused on is a stretch of land that runs along the banks of the Naugatuck River opposite of the Derby Greenway. 

Anyone who uses and enjoys the Greenway and the river is encouraged to come lend a helping hand.  Volunteers are asked to meet in the Tailgators parking lot at 8pm with rakes, boots, and other appropriate cleanup gear.  However, they are asked not to park in the restaurant's parking lot.

Bulldozer time has been donated by city resident Bill Korelyshum so that a trail could be forged to the site, and Annex Associates of New Haven has donated a dumpster.  United Illuminating owns some of the property along the river and will be sending employees to contribute to the cleanup.

If interested in volunteering, please RSVP to the event page on Facebook, or call the mayors office at (203) 736-1450

I've long known about the series of tunnels lying underneath the downtown Derby area, but never had an opportunity to actually see it with my own eyes until now.

Unfortunately, when I went down to look, I wasn't able to get very close due to safety precautions.  I was however able to catch a glimpse of the opening, which was at least partially satisfying considering it will soon be completely filled in to make way for new construction.

The tunnels were built in the early 1800's as a part of a canal system that fed water from the Naugatuck river to power several downtown factories. This particular opening was in the foundation of the "The Big Copper Mill", one of the first factories built in Derby.  The building was recently condemned and demolished following a partial collapse of the roof, exposing the tunnel opening and turbines that once powered the factory.

To give a clear demonstration of where these tunnels are actually located, I took a map from 1848 and placed it over a current satellite view of the downtown area.  The map places the tunnels in the exact place where the opening was recently exposed.  The reservoir which fed the water through the tunnels was located in the area where Home Depot's parking lot is currently is.

The etching above, taken from "The History of the Old Town of Derby, Connecticut, 1642-1880", depicts the factory on the left-hand side shortly before it was put into operation.  The accompanying text reads:

"This village was commenced in 1834. There are at present (July 1 1836) about twenty dwelling houses and three mercantile stores; there is in and about to be put in operation one factory for making sheet copper and copper wire one for making augers one for making carriage springs and axles one for making nails or tacks one for flannels and satinets with some other minor manufacturing establishments. The water by which the mills and factories are put in operation is taken from the Naugatuck by a canal which extends upwards of a mile and a half northward of the village. A steam boat is about to commence running between this place and New York Part of the Leaven worth bridge over the Ousatonic is seen on the extreme left. The dwelling of Sheldon Smith Esq is seen a little eastward of this on the elevated ground above the copper factory. This edifice is elegantly situated and commands a most beautiful and interesting prospect to the southward particularly of the village at the Landing and the passage of the Ousatonic through what is called the Narrows."

Reposted on the Connecticut Weekender here.  Video of the tunnel can be seen here.  Additional photos can be seen here.

(Note: Since posting this blog, local residents have informed me that the house is actually located in Seymour, so the title of this post has been adjusted accordingly.  Please refrain from posting directions or an address.)

I was a bit surprised to find out that the town I live in, Derby, CT, was once the setting for an episode of the Discovery Channel's A Haunting.  The episode, titled "Hell House", told the story of the Beckwith family who supposedly began seeing ghosts and other strange phenomena shortly after moving to a new home.  Local ghost hunters Ed & Lorraine Warren were called in to help along with other  "paranormal investigators", and an exorcism was performed.

I particularly enjoyed the line: "Today, in the historic towns of Seymour and Derby, the legions of dead beneath the land far outnumber the living."  Spooky...

PS: This is my 500th post since starting this blog!

We had more snow this morning. As a result I had some serious snow blowing to do at work today (we do a little bit of everything here).  It seems like the snow won't stop this year. I don't mind it... just wish it was warmer.