Press Releases / Announcements October 2023
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WINSTED – American
Mural Project's Recycled Runway goes live Saturday, October 21 at 6 PM.
Readers can purchase tickets for the LIVE fashion show, where models hit the catwalk to showcase incredible ensembles made from reused and recycled materials that would have otherwise ended up in the trash.
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HIGHLIGHTS:
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Recycled runway show,
emceed by Hartford's own comedic playwright Jaqcues Lamarre
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Runway seating or
balcony standing tickets
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Deejayed dance party,
with light show following the runway show
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Cash/credit bar. Food
will also be available for purchase.
https://www.americanmuralproject.org/
Runway Seating & Dance Party $50
Balcony Standing Room
$35
Student Carla Galaise Elected to CT Board of Regents
WINSTED – CT State
Northwestern is proud to announce student Carla Galaise has been elected as the
chair of the CT Board of Regents (BOR) Student Advisory Committee, representing
all 58,000 CT State Community College students as a full voting member of the
board.
“I am really looking forward to representing Northwestern at the state level,” said Galaise. “I plan on making sure students’ voices are heard to make a real, substantial difference.” Galaise is a second-year student who plans to graduate from Northwestern in Spring 2024 with a degree in General Studies. She plans to continue her education, majoring in Anthropology.
CT State Northwestern President, Dr. Michael Rooke, said he is proud that a Northwestern student has been elected again to serve on the BOR to represent all students. “I’ve been working with Carla through our student mentorship program and Student Government and have seen her leadership skills in action and know she is perfect for this important role,” he said.
Northwestern graduate Luis Sanchez was also elected as vice-chair of the Student Advisory Committee, representing State University students. Sanchez graduated from Northwestern in Spring 2023 and is currently a student at Central CT State University. While a student at Northwestern, Sanchez served as Chair last year on the BOR Advisory Committee.
The BOR members are appointed by the governor and legislative leadership and are responsible for statewide policies for the state’s university and community college system. NW CT Chamber of Commerce President, JoAnn Ryan, is the current Chair of the BOR. Galaise and Sanchez were elected by their peers based on their leadership and willingness to serve in this important role.
The CSCU system provides affordable and comprehensive programs for students to achieve their personal and career educational goals as well as contribute to the economic growth of the state.
“This is an amazing accomplishment for both Carla and Luis and also for Northwestern,” said Rooke. “I’m proud that Northwestern is developing amazing leadership in our students and the BOR is providing the avenue for them to use and expand their skills.”
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Election Debates Via Gilbert School
WINSTED -- The Gilbert School Social Studies Department is once again sponsoring two debates for Winsted's upcoming municipal election.
The Board of Education debate will be held on Thursday, October 12th. And the Board of Selectmen debate will be held on Thursday, October 19th.
Both debates will be held in The Gilbert School Auditorium and begin at 7 p.m. Students from the Civics and AP Government classes are hosting and moderating the debates.
The debates are open to the public and can also be viewed live on The Gilbert School's YouTube channel: TGSTV
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Author, educator and researcher Barbara Connery's discussion and signing of her new book Rosa’s Voice, set at Morris Public Library, on Tuesday, October 10, at 6:30 PM.
MORRIS -- Ten-year-old Rosa spends her summers searching for seashells on the coastal shores in Mexico, the childhood home of her mother. During the school year, she lives with her parents, Kevin and Ale, in Brooklyn, New York, sharing her neighborhood with her close friends.
After entering a school-wide oratory festival, Rosa is selected to represent her school at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.. Finding her voice, Rosa shares a message of hope, compassion, and strength as she recites her original speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Rosa’s Voice profoundly illustrates cultural responsiveness and various family dynamics of the present day society. It draws parallels with the contemporary adult fiction novels, and it will appeal to all readers who admire the art of oratory.
Barbara has been teaching and coaching teachers for over forty years. Being a Ford’s Theatre National Oratory Fellow is one of the highlights of her career. For five years, Barbara has brought students to Washington, D.C. to recite their original speeches in front of the Lincoln Memorial and on the stage of Ford’s Theatre.
Registration: 860-567-7440 or https://morrispubliclibrary.net/library-calendar-event-registration/
Fall After School Stories and Craft, Grades K-2, at the Morris Public Library
MORRIS -- Join Miss Stephanie for “Fall After School Stories and Craft” for students in Grades K-2 at the Morris Public Library on Fridays, October 13, October 27 (Halloween Craft), and November 17, 2023, 3:40 pm-4:30 pm.
An engaging story and educational activities will be offered along with a craft and interaction time.
Pick-up after school (JMS) by a librarian is offered - bring a permission slip to school. Parent pick-up from the library is at 4:30 PM.
Only 15 spots! Register today: 860-567-7440 or https://morrispubliclibrary.net/library-calendar-event-registration/
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Chamber's Great Business Showcase Oct. 26
TORRINGTON – The Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce will holding its annual Great Business Showcase on Thursday, October 26, 2023 from
4:00-7:00 p.m. at Vera Roma Grille & Bar on 1301 Torringford West St.
The event is open to the public with a $5 admission fee and refreshments will be available for purchase at the restaurant. The event will feature over 30 vendors, each with a door prize for attendees to enter to win. The first 100 attendees will also receive a free gift from the Chamber.
The Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the owners of Vera Roma Grille & Bar for supporting this event.
For further information, please call Northwest Connecticut’s Chamber of Commerce at 860-482-6586 or visit the Chamber website at www.nwctchamberofcommerce.org.
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Your Date With The Moon: Saturday October 21, 2023
(Event starts at 7 pm in Colebrook, CT)
Striking Shower of Meteors Predicted
COLEBROOK --Saturday October 21 is International Observe the Moon Night, so if you are in or anywhere near Colebrook, stop by the Norbrook Brewery (Rt 182) (7-9pm) to learn little known facts about lunar science, and join in a fun evening of gazing at the world’s second biggest planet.
The event is sponsored by the Colebrook Land Conservancy as part of its community outreach programs.
If conditions permit, you will be able to observe the brights stars and constellations, a first quarter moon, the giant planets Saturn and Jupiter and –as a rare once yearly bonus—a celestial spectacle of the Orionids meteor shower, which is predicted to hit its peak on October 21.
Bring binoculars and or a telescope if possible – but if not, they will be available at the event. Admission is free. Hot cider will be served.
The event will take place rain or shine. If inclement, it will be limited to the tented presentation.
International Observe the Moon Night has been celebrated annually since 2009 under the sponsorship of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission and the Solar System Exploration Division at Goddard Space Flight Center.
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Brooker Director Coyle To Retire In March
TORRINGTON -- Brooker Memorial Executive Director Cathy Coyle will retire effective March 2024 after 20 years leading the local non-profit organization.
Board President William J. Marchand announced her retirement decision at Brooker’s Annual Corporator meeting on September 28.
As she prepares for her transition into retirement, Coyle said she is confident the organization is in capable hands.
Coyle states, “Of the accomplishments I am most proud, one is the leadership team and the staff team I have worked hard to develop and inspire. Brooker will continue to grow and thrive under their competent abilities and passion for their work.”
Coyle joined Brooker Memorial as the executive director in 2004, following a 14-year career in health care and non-profit management in New Britain. Board president Bill Marchand said, “Cathy was the right person at the right time for Brooker. The organization has excelled and the community has benefitted as a result of her special blend of compassion, leadership and expertise.”
He went on to note that as the second longest serving executive director at Brooker, Cathy’s accomplishments will have a long-term impact on the organization.
Some of the highlights of Coyle’s 20 years leading Brooker include:
· Volunteer corps grew from 36 to 129.
· Annual fund and special event contributions grew from $2,200 to $188,000.
· Grants to support programs grew from $2,300 to $114,000 last year.
· The percentage of corporators who are involved as donors, volunteers, event supporters, or ambassadors increased from 10% to 88%.
· The 2015 building renovation and building project increased square footage from 10,000 to 16,800 square feet and provided a much needed façade improvement, modernized program space and room for future expansion.
The Brooker Board of Managers has named a search committee to recruit the organization’s next executive director.
When asked about her future plans she said, “My husband and I are looking forward to traveling and spending more time with friends and family.” Coyle will continue her community work in the Torrington area serving on the boards of The Warner Theatre, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and The Workman Home and as a member of the Torrington/Winsted Rotary Club. She said she plans to continue her involvement with Brooker as a volunteer.
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HARTFORD -- Though Connecticut’s witch trials pre-dated those in Salem, Massachusetts, by 30 years and ended in 1697, new research shows that the specter of witchcraft continued to haunt some Connecticut residents into the 18th century, according to historian and publisher, Dr. Katherine Hermes.
Hermes outlined newly discovered witchcraft accusations in the Fall 2023 issue of Connecticut Explored, the magazine of Connecticut history, and notes that 50 years after the state’s last executions for witchcraft, people still made accusations. “It was a dangerous time to be a woman who defied social norms or was perceived as contentious,” Hermes says. “Often accusers had no other way to exercise power over the person they were accusing, so they used the court in the same way that some people today use social media, to lash out. ”
One of the articles published in Connecticut Explored notes research at the Connecticut State Library reveals a case in Guilford in 1742, where an elderly widow, Elizabeth Gould, sued Benjamin Chittenden for slander for claiming she was a witch. Chittenden’s accusation was graphic: “he did believe She... was a Witch and had Reason to believe it because She... rode down here... & came in & got upon my Breast... & Lay upon me so hard as to make the Blood flie out at my Mouth & Nose.” Gould alleged that Chittenden was “Envious at the Happy Estate of the Plaintiff & minding to vex & grieve her unjustly, & her to Slander.” She poignantly described how his accusation rendered her an outcast in their community, bringing her into “Disgrace Contempt, & Abhorrence, as well as [depriving] her of the Society Traffick & both Pleasant & Necessary Converse of her Neighbours.”
Unfortunately, the court found Gould’s plea “insufficient” and awarded Chittenden the recovery of his court costs. Gould’s status as a widow likely damaged her credibility. Hermes remarks, “Elizabeth Gould fit a stereotype of a witch—old, long-widowed, and in possession of property that other people wanted. It seems incredible to us today that a woman of nearly 70 years would be vulnerable to charges of immorality or even witchcraft.”
In another example, Hermes cites a 1716 transcript of testimony by 16-year-old Susannah Howard of Wethersfield. Howard’s allegations against Dr. Alexander Williamson, who had “treated” her father for eight months, included: “Sometime in the last summer past I heard Doctor Williamson say at my father's house that he could charm a snake to death in speaking a few words…And further he said that in England in a by-place there was a circle and he went into it, and he had a book that he read in, and after he had read awhile he raised the devil and the devil strove [fought] with him for the book…” Assuming Susannah’s testimony was accurate, its transcript is the first document in Connecticut demonstrating an admission to practicing witchcraft that was not coerced or produced under duress.
As with other witchcraft cases, one might question the motivations of the accusers. Susannah Howard watched her father waste away while racking up a hefty doctor's bill. “The convergence of circumstances—a failed healer, a torturous death, and a legal fight over money—were not unusual in accusations of witchcraft,” Hermes explains.
Hermes’ publication of the new research findings follows the May 2023 official apology by state legislators that absolved the dozens of women and men who were accused, convicted, and even executed for the crime of witchcraft in the 1600s. The resolution notes that misogyny played a large part in the trials and the denial of defendants' rights and dignity.
In the fall edition of Connecticut Explored, Windsor resident Beth M. Caruso outlines her motivation and involvement in forming the Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project. The “Resolution Concerning Certain Witchcraft Convictions in Colonial Connecticut” crafted by the group was passed by Connecticut legislators on May 25, 2023, on the eve of the 376th anniversary of the execution of Connecticut’s first witch-trial victim, Alice Young. Caruso notes that those accused of witchcraft, most of them female and many of them leaving vulnerable children behind, were victims of superstition and an unjust legal system.
Hermes will also detail the new research in an upcoming episode of the “Grating the Nutmeg” podcast produced by Connecticut Explored, on November 1, 2023.
About Katherine Hermes
Hermes is the publisher and executive director of Connecticut Explored. She received a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, and a Ph.D. in Colonial American history from Yale University. She is professor emerita at Central Connecticut State University in the History Department, where she served as department chair and taught courses on Anglo-American legal history and Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands, as well as other courses in Early America. She is the co-author of several articles and book chapters on Native American history in New England and the author of book chapters on Native legal history. She directed the “Uncovering Their History” project, which examines the African, African-American, and Native-American Burials in Hartford’s Ancient Burying Ground, 1640-1815. She is also the author, with Beth Caruso, of "Between God and Satan: Thomas Thornton, Witch-Hunting, and Religious Mission in the English Atlantic World, 1647–1693." Connecticut History Review 61, no. 2 (2022): 42-82.
About Connecticut Explored
Connecticut Explored and the Grating the Nutmeg podcast are where readers and listeners encounter the fascinating, often untold, stories of our state’s people, places, and events. We partner with Connecticut’s premier history, arts, and educational organizations to create content and collaborative programming to discuss and debate: “What happened here?” Through compelling stories and intriguing images, Connecticut Explored explores the whole of the Connecticut story with the aim of revealing connections between our past, present, and future. For more information visit: https://www.ctexplored.org
Katherine Hermes
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