Monthly Archives: May 2016

‘Mattresses for Music’ Event Today Benefits Lyme-Old Lyme HS Music Students Trip to Hawaii

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pileofMattressesHow well do you sleep at night?  You spend about a third of your life in bed, so make sure you do it comfortably!

On Saturday, May 21, the Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Commons will be transformed into a mattress showroom, when the Lyme-Old Lyme Friends of Music host the “Mattresses for Music” event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Brand new, name-brand mattresses will be on display and available for ordering at up to half the price found at retail shops, with full factory warranties. Cash, check, or credit cards will be accepted.

Plus … pick up a discount card at the front door and save even more. Friends of Music receives a bonus for every mattress sold. Mattresses are available in all sizes and types, including memory foam. Also included are mattress protectors, luxury pillows, and adjustable beds.  Delivery, setup, and removal of old mattresses are available as well.

“Mattresses for Music” is just one of several fundraisers that Friends of Music is conducting this year in its effort to help defray the cost of sending LOLHS student musicians to represent Connecticut at Pearl Harbor commemoration ceremonies. On Dec. 7, high school bands and choruses from the United States and Japan will gather in Hawaii to perform at ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the beginning of United States involvement in World War II.

Among those school groups will be 105 members of the Lyme-Old Lyme High School Band and Chorus, the only school in Connecticut — and one of only two from New England — to be participating in the event.  LOLHS Chorus and Band members, along with Choral Director Kristine Pekar and Band Director Jacob Wilson, are busy preparing for this performance, which will demonstrate how cultures once opposed can come together to present a musical gift to the world.

There is a substantial cost for this trip and Friends of Music is committed to raising funds to help cover these costs.  Other projects under way include ongoing sales of Stop & Shop “Cash for Causes” cards; a “Dine-in” at Flanders Fish restaurant in East Lyme on May 23; and the “Hawaii Five-O” 5K road race on July 30. Information on these and other projects, as well as a direct donation portal, can be found on the Friends of Music website or e-mail friendsofmusiclol@gmail.com for more information.  As a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Friends of Music can accept matching funds from employers.

“Mattresses for Music” will be held at Lyme-Old Lyme High School, 69 Lyme Street, Old Lyme.

‘Touch-a-Truck’ in East Lyme Today Benefits Child & Family

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LogoSpend a beautiful day on Niantic Bay, attending the ninth annual East Lyme Auxiliary of Southeastern Connecticut Child and Family Agency’s Touch-A-Truck on Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at McCook Point Park in Niantic. East Lyme Parks and Recreation Department is a co-sponsor of the event. Rain date is Sunday, May 22.

There is a suggested $4 per person donation (ages 3 and up) to benefit the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut.

The Touch-A-Truck experience is for one and all, big and small. It’s an educational experience that will make you a “hero” with your child/grandchild. Children can climb various vehicles, sit in the driver’s seat and discover the world of trucks. They will be able to reach the sky in a cherry picker, see, touch, and interact with big trucks and learn their functions.

This unique event will feature large trucks and heavy equipment from law enforcement, fire departments, commercial companies, industrial companies and rental companies. Vehicle demonstrations will be conducted and in addition, there will be face painting and craft activities for the children as well as a free photo-op. Refreshments will be available for sale.

Child & Family’s mission is to promote the well-being and development of all children and their families, in particular to give priority to the unmet needs of children lacking physical, emotional and intellectual care and nurturing.

Programs deal with child abuse prevention, the treatment of family violence, teen pregnancy, children’s health care, childcare, parent education and children’s mental health. Last year families were served in 67 towns in New Haven, Middlesex and New London Counties, the Child & Family Agency service region.

Lynn Fairfield-Sonn of Old Lyme is Director of Development and Community Relations for the Agency.

Visit this website to learn more, to volunteer, or to donate: www.childandfamilyagency.org

For more information, call Child & Family Agency at 860-443-2896, ext. 1403.

Baldwin on Bosch: Friends of Lyme Library Sponsor Art History Lecture This Morning

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'The Garden of Earthly Delights,' the world famous triptych painted by Hieronymus Bosch between 1503-1515 and housed in the Prado Art Gallery in Madrid, Spain since 1939.

‘The Garden of Earthly Delights,’ the world famous triptych painted by Hieronymus Bosch between 1503-1515 and housed in the Prado Art Gallery in Madrid, Spain since 1939.

Robert Baldwin, Associate Professor of Art History, Connecticut College presents, “The Artistry of Bosch: Renaissance Naturalism, Allegory and Imagination,” Saturday, May 21, at 11 a.m., at Lyme Public Library

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Lyme Public Library

Hieronymous Bosch

Hieronymous Bosch

2016 marks 500 years since the death of Hieronymus Bosch. Bosch revolutionized early Renaissance art by turning away from traditional Christian images such as Madonnas and saints. In the Garden of Earthly Delights (see image above), the Haywain, and the Seven Deadly Sins, Bosch painted secular, encyclopedic scenes of everyday life framed with moral allegory.

Although seemingly poles apart, his naturalism and fantasy were both part of a secular, Renaissance aesthetic, which understood artistic seeing as both empirical and playful. Bosch’s artistry allowed him to convert medieval sin and hellish punishment into visually appealing luxury objects for pleasure-loving aristocrats while bringing the artist fame and fortune.

Baldwin has taught Renaissance and Baroque art history at Connecticut College for 31 years. He is the author of many articles and has a web site socialhistoryofart.com.

Vista Presents “Pirates” Musical at ‘The Kate’ This Weekend

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Nancy, Brian and Craig are three of the actors in “The Pirates of Penzance” at The Kate.

Nancy, Brian and Craig are three of the actors in “The Pirates of Penzance” at The Kate.

OLD SAYBROOK – A band of pirates will soon invade the stage at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook as part of Vista Life Innovations’ upcoming musical production of “The Pirates of Penzance,” which opens Friday, May 20.

Directed by Pat Souney, this production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic comedy features an original adaptation by Souney and Assistant Director Noah Golden. The story follows Frederic, an orphan who has mistakenly been apprenticed to a bumbling band of pirates, and the hilarity that ensues as a result.

“The comedy varies from clever dialogue to corny puns to slapstick,” said Souney, an Old Saybrook resident. “It is a very funny show and the cast has great fun with it.”

Setting this production apart is its mission to unite the shoreline and Vista communities, which it achieves by featuring an all-ability ensemble of performers from both communities. The cast is comprised of nine community members and 20 Vista members, and ranges from seasoned performers to those making their stage debuts.

Among the actors is Killingworth resident Craig Hines in the role of Pirate King. Hines was introduced to Vista when he was cast in Vista’s first-ever all-ability musical production, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” in 2014.

“What I have enjoyed most about working with the Vista students and members is the way they notice and enjoy the small details,” Hines said. “They are also more genuinely enthusiastic and openly happy to see you and be involved.”

Show times are Friday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, May 22 at 2 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit www.katharinehepburntheater.org or call the box office at 877-503-1286.

This production is funded in part through a grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. Show sponsors include Farmers Insurance, the Wrotnowski Family, the Lee Family, Cornerstone Construction Services, Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Inc., Bruce Baber, and Laurie Pilcher and Sharon Grogan.

With campuses in Westbrook, Madison and Guilford, Vista Life Innovations is an organization dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities achieve personal success.

Nancy, Brian and Craig

Essex Wellness Center Hosts Free Talk, Discussion on Prescription Drug Abuse, This Afternoon

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Joanna Crowell, LPC, LADC

Joanna Crowell, LPC, LADC

ESSEX — Abuse of prescription painkillers and opioid drugs has become an epidemic that has worked its way into many Connecticut families.

On Saturday, May 21, at the Essex Wellness Center from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Joanna Crowell, LPC, LADC, psychotherapist, drug and alcohol counselor, will talk about abuse of certain medications – opioids, central nervous system depressants and stimulants – and adverse health effects, including addiction, accidental overdose and death.

When people lose their access to prescription narcotics, they often turn to heroin in both affluent suburbs and inner cities alike. Addiction to prescription painkillers is common and dangerous.

Join this open dialogue and candid discussion that includes a variety of treatment options available to begin the healing process for people in trouble. This event is free, but preregistration is required as space is limited. Call 860-767-7770 or email info@essexwellnessctr.com.

This program is part of Essex Wellness Center’s free Live Well Lecture series. Essex Wellness Center is at 8 Novelty Lane (upstairs), Essex Village.