newsandviewsjb

NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Posts tagged “Jacqueline Bennett”

Dual National Championship Parade for UConn Draws Hundreds of Thousands

Posted on April 14, 2014

Story & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb As far as the eye could see and beyond, fans lined the streets of downtown Hartford on April 13 for the 2014 Dual National Championship Parade honoring the University of Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball teams  – a repeat of ten years ago when the UConn men and women also brought home dual national NCAA basketball titles.   This time around the crowd was estimated to have been even larger – approaching 300,000. It certainly looked that way. Under sunny skies the celebration got underway at 4 p.m. outside the state Capitol. Scheduled for 45 minutes it went twice as long. Taking part were a number of  area high school marching bands, multiple fife & drum corps,…

Categories: NCAA Champions, NEWS, Parades, UConn basketball, unique acheivements

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Destination: Wood-n-Tap Bar & Grill in Farmington, Connecticut

Posted on April 11, 2014

Write – Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Wood-n-Tap Bar & Grill in Farmington, Connecticut is one of a group of restaurants by the same name in the Greater Hartford area and lower part of the state. Open daily at 11:30 a.m., the Farmington site is located in what once was The Keg on the corner of an intersection along Farmington Avenue. The main dining area has a casual ambiance with dark decor booths and tables accented by overhanging lamps. The rear section tables are next to long patio windows and connected to a patio that overlooks a pond. In the tavern is an eye-catching stone fireplace, a bar, television – usually tuned to sports, booths and a long center table with high…

Categories: Food, NEWS, Restaurants

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From “Nutty” to Nouveau – What’s The Big Deal About Organic Produce?

Posted on April 9, 2014

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com Organic farming has gone from “nutty” to noveau. For the rising numbers of American consumers concerned about the use of growth hormones and application of synthetic organic pesticides in conventional produce, and preservation of American farms, now is the time of year to shop for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organic farm to join. “It’s not a movement – yet,” said one customer at the George Hall Farm in Connecticut’s Farmington Valley last summer. But she predicted organic produce is the way of the future. Like his fellow organic farmers, Darren Cugno, owner of Cugno’s Farm in Colchester, Connecticut is convinced that organic produce is not only better but that conventional fruits and vegetables can be downright…

Categories: Community Supported Agriculture, family farms, Farmer's Markets, Food, NEWS

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Sen. Blumenthal Attends Windsor CT Chamber of Commerce Anniversary Auction – Doubles Donation

Posted on April 5, 2014

  Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb  United States Senator Richard Blumenthal charmed the “30 Years Windsor Chamber Cares” benefit auction Friday night, April 4, with humor and warmth. Addressing the event Blumenthal highlighted a special friendship he has forged, and then obliged a request from the crowd doubling his donation from not one, but to two breakfasts with him in Washington D.C. Held at Maneeley’s in South Windsor, it was the 30th anniversary for the Windsor, Connecticut Chamber of Commerce annual auction, this year benefiting Send Hometown Windsor to the Troops, the Windsor Education Foundation, Windsor Art Center at the Freight House, and, the chamber itself. Windsor Mayor Donald Trinks, Anita Mips and auction organizer Bill Gombert greeted the senator at the…

Categories: Auctions, fundraising, NEWS, U.S. Chambers of Commerce

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Mere Hours Away – 2014 Fenway Park Opener with World Series Champ Red Sox vs. Brewers

Posted on April 1, 2014

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb It’s down to three days,  mere hours until the World Champion Red Sox “Boys of Summer” are back in action as the heart of downtown Boston, Massachusetts. This Friday, April 4, at 2:05 p.m. the 2014 season opener gets underway at storied Fenway Park when the 2013 World Series Champ Red Sox take on the Milwaukee Brewers. Currently, no tickets are available for the opening game but redsox.com advises checking back to see if availability changes. However, tickets are still on sale for the games against the Brewers on Saturday night 7:10 p.m. April 5 and Sunday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. on April 6 – following Sunday’s game all children in attendance have a chance to run the…

Categories: Home Openers, Major League Ballparks, Major League Baseball, NEWS

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World Book Night Coming on April 23

Posted on March 31, 2014

Write-up by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb  What better way to wrap up National Reading Month than with news of World Book Night coming on April 23. Based on the UNESCO International Day of the Book, World Book Night is said to have originated in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2011. It has spread to the United States, where this year WBN book give-aways are slated for across the country. According to the WBN website, the date of April 23 was chosen for World Book Night, in part, because it is the generally accepted birth date of renown playwright and poet William Shakespeare. As well WBN notes, the Day of the Book was inspired by a tradition begun in a region of Spain, of giving…

Categories: NEWS, Promote Reading, William Shakespeare, World Book Night

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Teach Your Children Well – Sweet Sofia

Posted on March 28, 2014

Write -up by Jacqueline Bennett/ Photos Courtesy of Debbie Landeck      I wanted the post after selecting a new layout for newsandviewsjb to be special. So, it is with great joy that I am writing about my niece, sweet Sofia. As part of a school project to help someone in need Sofia chose The Ronald McDonald House in the Seattle, Washington area. Her dad Daniel distributed flyers to the Mercer Island Rotary and their Dojo, where the two take karate lessons. This past weekend they raised $400 worth of  “wish list and household items” which Sofia donated.  And on Sunday, Sofia ran the Mercer Island Rotary Kid’s Dash and Dan ran the 5K, both to benefit families dealing with cancer.      …

Categories: Cancer research, NEWS

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New Look for newsandviewsjb – Maybe

Posted on March 27, 2014

Today I have launched a fresh look for newsandviewsjb – Happy Birthday to me! I have thirty days to decide if I’m satisfied with the new layout. If so, then my next change will likely be to purchase the domain for my news blog which would make the address, or link – newsandviewsjb.com. Readers may remember I had planned to make changes last spring but due to life & stuff, I put it on hold. This morning I awoke ready to give it a try. I hope you find the new design easy to read. One feature I like is the smooth printout look when you use the ‘print’ option under the share button that reads ‘ MORE ‘ at the bottom of each…

Categories: Changes, NEWS

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Connecticut Trees of Honor Memorial To Break Ground on April 17

Posted on March 26, 2014

Write-up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Groundbreaking for the Connecticut Trees of Honor Memorial will be held April 17, 2014. Scheduled for 2 p.m. the groundbreaking will take place at Veterans Memorial Park, Walnut Grove Road, in Middletown, Connecticut which was selected as the memorial site in June of 2012. Middletown Mayor Daniel Drew worked with the CTHM committee to select a date for the groundbreaking – a long awaited moment in the continuing journey to build a unique, living trees memorial to honor the American military men and women who died in service to the nation in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – in particular the 65 fallen from Connecticut, as well as all veterans. “This memorial will be a tribute…

Categories: Afghanistan War Memorials, Connecticut Park Memorials, Iraq War Memorials, NEWS, war memorials

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Six Hundred Ninety-Five Commitments to Action

Posted on March 25, 2014

 By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Six hundred ninety-five commitments to action were made by Millennials through the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative University – a message perhaps overshadowed by television network sound bites focused on the coming presidential race. Born circa 1980 to 2000, Millennials are next in line to lead the nation and the world. Despite a struggling American economy and an especially high unemployment rate among their generation, Millennials were characterized at the three day event as optimistic and civic-minded. “Six hundred ninety-five commitments to action exemplify the Millennials,” former U. S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an opening speech delivered during the CGLU conference held at Arizona State University March 21, 22 and 23. A Pew Research Center report issued…

Categories: Democratization, Millennials, NEWS, Political activism, Politics

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