newsandviewsjb

NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Posts tagged “Manchester CT

After Unseasonable Weather, A Snowstorm Surprise

Posted on February 6, 2016

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Overall is was a beautiful sight and a typical New England snowfall.   Nonetheless, following weeks of unseasonably warm weather, parts of Connecticut were surprised Friday, February 5, with a foot or more of snow. Although the snow had been predicted, Winter Storm Barbara brought more inches than had been anticipated to areas, arriving in a wet, heavy form that caused power-lines to sag and snap. Compounded by whipping winds, the result was power outages (which had been predicted), as well as, motor vehicle accidents, school closings and a busy day for AAA. At peak, Eversource reported 65,000 customers without power, noted area broadcasters.     State, local and private plow drivers worked to clear the…

“Dear Vietnam Veteran” Manchester CT Town Hall Displays ‘Wall of Healing’ Keepsakes

Posted on January 16, 2016

  Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   “Dear Vietnam Veteran   Thank you.  We are sorry for the loss of your friends and comrades ..  Thank you for your service and your bravery…”  A note with this message is positioned proudly and prominently in a showcase in the Manchester, Connecticut town hall. The showcase contains a tribute of mementos left beside  “The Wall That Heals”,  a traveling Vietnam Memorial that came to town in October, 2015.   Immediately behind the note, with the American flag as a backdrop and surrounded by white candles, blended together in an oblong bowl are “all petals from flowers left at the wall”. It is an especially touching sight as one pauses to imagine the hands that…

“He was the empty seat at Thanksgiving” Wall That Heals-Vietnam Memorial-Honor, Gratitude, Emotion in Manchester, Connecticut

Posted on October 9, 2015

  Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   “He was the empty seat at Thanksgiving, the stocking not hung at Christmas, the sibling missing from the photo, the birthday not celebrated. His death became the before and after in the timeline of our lives.” – Emile Miller   Speaking in a sometimes faltered, tearful voice, Emile Miller, the sister of Pvt Keith Alan Miller, U.S.M.C., shared those poignant words Thursday, October 8 during a Memorial Service to honor  “The Wall That Heals”, a Vietnam Memorial visiting Manchester, Connecticut from Oct. 8-11. One of fourteen young men from Manchester killed during the war in Vietnam, the news of Keith’s death on September 7, 1967 changed their family forever and came when she was just…

Behind-the-Scenes of “I’m Your Puppet!” Creative Collaboration – Silk City Chorus Barbershop Harmony & UConn Puppet Arts

Posted on January 20, 2015

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   A first ever creative collaboration between two extraordinary and highly regarded groups, the Silk City Chorus barbershoppers and the University of Connecticut Puppet Arts Program, titled “I’m Your Puppet!”, is set to take center stage Saturday night, January 24, in Manchester, Connecticut.                               “This is the first time something like this has been tried by the Barbershop Harmony Society, an international organization. The Silk City Chorus (an 80-man chapter) has been working on the collaboration with Bart Roccoberton, director of the UConn Puppet Arts Program, and students from UConn for a year,” Neal Kellogg, director of marketing and communication for the Silk City Chorus, said during a behind-the-scenes interview…

Rain Does Not Deter Peach Shortcake Lovers from Attending 2014 Festival in Manchester, CT

Posted on August 24, 2014

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Oh no, don’t let the rain come down!  Sporadic rain showers did not deter peach shortcake lovers from attending the 65th Annual Peach Festival held Friday night, August 22 in Manchester, Connecticut. Umbrellas in hand, festival-goers turned out anyway. The Peach Festival is hosted by the 8th Utilities District firefighters and ladies auxiliary as a fundraiser for the volunteer department. Tickets were $5.     Organizers moved most of the long tables for family style seating inside the Fire Headquarters, where the event was held for the second year after being relocated from its previous home down the hill at the old firehouse. For many the festival is an end-of-summer tradition but was also enjoyed by…

Firefighters’ Host 65th Annual Peach Festival

Posted on August 20, 2014

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com  Let the peach peeling begin! Each August the 8th Utilities District firefighters and the ladies auxiliary in Manchester, Connecticut put a call out to the community for volunteers to assist with peeling peaches for the annual peach festival. Now in its 65th year, the peach peeling heralds the upcoming  festival that is both a fundraiser for the volunteer fire department and has become a traditional last hurrah gathering as summer comes to a close.  Firefighters serve up those yummy peach shortcakes topped with hand sliced fresh peaches and Shady Glen whipped cream. Don’t be surprised to see politicians circulating at this event. The 2014  festival is scheduled for Friday, August 22 at the Fire Headquarters on 138…

Homeland Day 100th Anniversary Celebrated in Manchester, Connecticut

Posted on June 16, 2014

Story & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com The 100th anniversary of Homeland Day was celebrated on June 14 in Manchester, Connecticut. Since renamed Heritage Day, the annual celebration was originated by Ruth Sears Cheney to recognize the heritage of the many ethnic groups living in Manchester and working in the Cheney silk mills. The first celebration included a day of festivities and floats representing the varied cultures of Manchester’s population in the early 20th Century. This year’s Heritage Day capped the 23rd Pride in Manchester Week with a ceremony at Cheney Hall, that is now home to the Little Theater of Manchester which is currently staging a production of “Almost Maine”. The ceremony was followed by a march from the hall along Hartford Road…

“Home of the Free Because of the Brave”

Posted on May 27, 2014

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett  Across the country Americans took time yesterday to honor those in the United States Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice. In small towns and big cities people gathered for Memorial Day parades, wreath presentations at cemeteries and monuments, the singing of the ” Star Spangled Banner” and for speeches. From the smallest ceremonies to the biggest the message was the same – remember with gratitude. It was repeated from one town to the next – along with scenes such as  high school bands playing patriotic songs,  police and firefighter color guards, boy scouts and girls scouts, old soldiers riding in cars while their younger counterparts marched, gun salutes and the haunting sound of Taps. Indeed, from town…

“Undercover” Continues Manchester Bicentennial Band Shell 2013 Summer Concerts

Posted on August 3, 2013

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb “Undercover” continued the Summer 2013 36th season of concerts at the Manchester Bicentennial Band Shell August 2 with two fun, hour long sets of oldies and Motown. The open air venue is located in front of an expansive lawn on the campus of Manchester Community College, in Manchester, Connecticut. Sponsored by Shady Glen Dairy Stores, the Friday night concert kicked off with “Give Me That Old Time Rock & Rock” followed by “Let’s Twist Again” which the lead guitarist noted still tops the Billboard as an all-time favorite. The first set included numbers such as “Wake Up Little Susie”, “Brown Eyed Girl” and country artist Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places”. “How Sweet It Is” and “Under…

Impromtu Encounter With Silk City Chorus Leads to Beautiful Serenade

Posted on June 11, 2013

Write-Up & Photo by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com An impromtu encounter with the award-winning Silk City Chorus which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, resulted in a beautiful serenade sung just as one would expect – in perfect harmony….   “Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with you, Let me hear you whisper that you love me too, Keep the love light glowing in your eyes so true, Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with you.” One of New England’s premier groups of its genre, members of the Manchester, Connecticut-based, 80-man chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society gathered Sunday, June 9 for an annual barbeque at Nevers Park in South Windsor. “We’ll probably do some quarteting,” said member Dan Fontaine. The group was…