newsandviewsjb

NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Posts tagged “Jacqueline Bennett”

Led by Former Windham High Basketball Standout, “Dave & the Cadillacs” Raise Funds Elvis Style for Color Craze

Posted on October 5, 2015

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   David Blay’s booming baritone voice resonated “Elvis” hits across Recreation Park Saturday, October 3 in Willimantic/Windham, Connecticut. Blay, lead singer for “Dave & the Cadillacs” and his oldies band turned out to help the “2015 Color Craze” raise money to buy athletic equipment for the newly established Charles. H. Barrows STEM Academy, located in North Windham.   Organized by Cynthia Lovely, Blay’s neice, “2015 Color Craze” featured a 5K fun run and walk. As a Booster Club chairperson for the Tuckie Road academy, Lovely suggested Color Craze to raise money for a school athletic program.   “The academy began as all elementary. It is now fully enrolled with elementary and middle school students and needs an…

Categories: Elvis Performers, Music, NEWS, STEM Academies

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There’s Something About October- Windsor Chili Challenge-Pumpkintown Village-UConn Homecoming & More

Posted on September 29, 2015

Write-Up & Photos By: Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com There is something about October. It brings autumn’s colorful foliage and cooling air on dry, sunny days that make a heart feel light. It’s a time to savor every tinge of deep auburn, burnt orange and brilliant yellow of the turning leaves and even the muted tones that follow. Drinking in the beauty of this time of year is concurrently peaceful and exhilarating.   October brings a cornucopia of activities. On Saturday, Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. the town green in Connecticut’s oldest town, Windsor, once again be the site of the Annual Chili Challenge – rain date is Oct. 4. In its 20th year, the Chili Challenge is a fun event where participants…

Categories: Autumn Festivals, NEWS, October Events, Oldest Towns in New England, Pumpkin Festivals

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Lobster “Tale” from a Country Girl for National Lobster Day 2015

Posted on September 26, 2015

By: Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com September 25 was National Lobster Day. If ever there were a sea creature turned menu item worthy of having its own day – it is the delectably tasty lobster!   On this day of lobster celebration I have a lobster “tale” to share. Back in the day when University of Connecticut football played Yale, the Ivy League heavyweight always had the game scheduled at the Yale Bowl in New Haven which is about an hour and a half drive from UConn’s main campus in rural Storrs. Every September a group of us made the annual pilgrimage down to “the Bowl” to support the Huskies then capped the return ride off with a stop at Valle’s Steak House on Brainard Road…

Categories: Embarrassing Moments, Food, Lobster Tales, National Lobster Day 2015, NEWS, Popular New England food, Restaurant Delicacies, Seafood

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Hogback Mountain in Vermont – Annual Autumn Sojourn

Posted on September 23, 2015

Write-up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   The breathtaking 100 mile view of Hogback Mountain from Vermont’s Molly Stark Byway is worthy of an annual autumn sojourn. On a clear day a three state vista awaits from the scenic outlook point at the popular Hogback Mountain Gift Shop.   Invigorating, while at the same time calming, a vast kaleidoscope of foliage in rich autumn hues can be seen. With an elevation of 2,411 feet, Hogback Mountain offers a view of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont’s beautiful Green Mountains.   Gazing into the vast woodland, one cannot help but imagine the famous “Green Mountain Boys” led by Ethan Allen, holed up and plotting the capture of Fort Ticoneroga from the British back in 1775.…

Categories: Green Mountain Boys, New England, New England vacations, NEWS, U.S. Mountain Ranges, Visit New England

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Visiting “The Big E” – Eastern States Exposition – Sept 18-Oct 4, 2015

Posted on September 15, 2015

  Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com Big E day is always exciting! Now in its 99th year, Eastern States Exposition – “the Big E” – brings anticipation of revisiting the tried & true, as well as, curiosity about what will be new and different.     For us, the day starts early with a drive from Connecticut up to West Springfield, Massachusetts knowing the traffic will be heavy either on I-91 North or the “back way” – my preferred route – through a series of small towns surrounded by hints of autumn’s turning trees. Despite the massive parking lots, finding a parking space can be a challenge followed by the walk to the fairgrounds and the lengthy line to get in.  …

Categories: Avenue of States, Fall Festivals, festivals, New England, NEWS, Parades

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9th Annual Tavern Trot to Benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

Posted on September 14, 2015

  Write-Up by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com The 9th Annual Tavern Trot to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation will be held Sunday, September 20 in Windsor, Connecticut. Race day registration gets underway at 11:00 a.m. The 3.5 mile certified race then begins at 12:30 behind the tavern, which is located in the heart of Windsor Center on 20 Union Street.   Heidi Voight of NBC Connecticut News will serve as emcee. Visit https://www.facebook.com/UnionStreetTavernTrot to view Voight interviewing Rick Poirier of the Race Planning Committee about the upcoming event.   Look again this year for another lovely handmade quilt to be raffled off on race day to also benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, founded to raise money for pediatric cancer research. The quilts were the idea…

Categories: Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Firehouse Taverns, Handmade Quilts, New England Charity Runs, New England Taverns, NEWS, Pediatric Cancer Research, Quilts for a Cause, Walks/runs for causes

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Tom Brady & the New England Patriots Tonight at Foxborough – As It Should Be

Posted on September 10, 2015

Commentary by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com Quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are set to take the field at Gillette Stadium tonight in Foxborough, Massachusetts for the first regular season game – as it should be. Brady will be there in uniform suited up to play when the banner is raised for the Patriots’ last season Super Bowl victory.   After the Super Bowl honors, certainly a win would be nice. Regardless of the score at the end of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers however, tonight is a triumph for Brady who stuck to his principles. The Hall of Fame bound QB refused to be bullied into accepting an unjust suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and refused to compromise his Constitutional…

Categories: #FREE BRADY, New England Patriots, Rights of the Individual, Tom Brady

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Beautiful Tanglewood Wraps 75th Anniversary Schedule

Posted on September 8, 2015

  Write-Up & Photo by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Even those who are not classical music lovers want to visit Tanglewood. Tucked away off the country roads of Lenox village amid the thick, tangled trees of the Berkshires mountain range in western Massachusetts, Tanglewood has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937. The summer 2015 schedule that just wrapped up, marked Tanglewood’s 75th anniversary having hosted performances by the BSO every year except 1942-45, during World War II.   The drive to Tanglewood is refreshing. On concert nights the traffic can get heavy so the best approach is to prepare for a slowdown and take in the beauty of area. The closer one gets it’s typical to see folks carrying…

Categories: Classical Music, New England vacations, Summer concerts, Tanglewood

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Summer’s Last Hurrah at Hammonasset Beach on Long Island Sound

Posted on September 1, 2015

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   With Labor Day Weekend at hand, in a few days Connecticut’s local television stations will inevitably assign reporters to head to Hammonasset Beach State Park and cover one of the most popular places in New England to enjoy summer’s last hurrah. Located in the quaint town of Madison, Hammonasset – an American Indian phrase said to mean “where we dig holes in the sand” – offers more than two miles of beach on Long Island Sound. Unlike some beaches where the walk to reach the water’s edge is a long trek, a nice feature at Hammonasset is the breadth of the sand typically puts visitors closer to the surf. There is a boardwalk, walking/biking/ hiking trails…

Categories: American Way of Life, Connecticut Parks, Connecticut shore, Connecticut Shoreline Vacations, Connecticut state park beaches, Conservation, Labor Day Weekend Destinations, New England coastline, NEWS

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Firefighters’ 66th Annual Peach Festival – Aug. 28, 2015 – Manchester, Connecticut

Posted on August 27, 2015

        Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Manchester, Connecticut firefighters will host their 66th Annual Peach Festival Friday, August 28 at the Fire Headquarters on 138 Main Street. The 8th District Utilities volunteer firefighters will hold the event rain or shine. Not to fear however – the weather is predicted to be wonderful!     The Peach Festival is slated to get underway promptly at 6 p.m. and run to 8 p.m. or later depending on the turnout, which is usually large. Tickets (available at the door or beforehand at the fire headquarters) are $5 for a bowl of peach shortcake topped with freshly cut peaches and whipped cream. Live music and door prizes are typically part of this…

Categories: American Way of Life, Desserts, End of Summer hurrah, festivals, New England festivals, NEWS, Peach Shortcake

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