Community Bulletin Board for May 12, 2024

May 11—New London Neighborhood Academy accepting registrations

The City of New London is relaunching the New London Neighborhood Academy, a free educational initiative designed to provide residents with valuable insights into how the city's various departments work.

The goal is to empower residents to be effective community leaders. City officials, department heads, and community leaders will teach this series of classes. Established in 2005, the Neighborhood Academy was paused in 2016 and is now scheduled to resume in June.

The Academy begins June 5 and concludes with a graduation ceremony on July 10. The Wednesday night classes run from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and meet at various locations. Enrollment is limited to New London residents, property owners or business owners.

Applications are due May 15. Forms are available at Neighborhood Academy (newlondonct.org) or by calling 860-437-6394 or emailing ymateo@newlondonct.org.

Norwich Toastmasters meet May 15

Norwich Toastmasters meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month, providing an opportunity to learn how to improve your communication and leadership skills. The next meeting is from 7-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, at Chelsea Groton Bank's Norwich/Westside Branch, 444 West Main Street, Norwich.

There also is a Zoom option at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84732872267?pwd=ZlZ1ODFYZzNySjBOVjR2UnN2aGFTZz09, Meeting ID: 847 3287 2267; Passcode: 4779255. For more information visit: https://4779255.toastmastersclubs.org/.

Child poverty the topic in Waterford on May 15

A forum to discuss "Ending Child Poverty in Connecticut" sponsored by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, May 15, at Waterford Public Library, 49 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford.

Legislators and advocates will discuss the challenges and accomplishments of the recent legislative session and how we can address the root causes of child poverty.

Speakers will include state Reps. Kathleen McCarty and Anthony Nolan; state Sen. Cathy Osten; Emily Byrne of Connecticut Voices for Children; Merrill Gay of Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, and Sean Ghio of Partnership for Strong Communities. Janée Woods Weber of She Leads Justice will facilitate.

To register, contact Pam Mola at pamela@cfect.org or call 860-442-3572.

May presentations to address mental health

Throughout May, Artreach will host various events and activities to raise awareness about mental wellbeing during Mental Health Month.

Presentations will take place from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15 at the Public Library of New London, 63 Huntington St., New London; and from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28 at the Groton Public Library, 52 Newtown Road, Groton.

Artreach also has two art exhibits on display for Mental Health Awareness Month. "The Color of Sound" is on view at Groton-New London Airport, 155 Tower Ave., Groton. The exhibit is available during the airport's regular business hours through June.

In addition, Otis Library, 261 Main St. in Norwich, is hosting "Peace in Nature." The exhibit is on view throughout the month of May in the meeting room on the second level and is available to view during Otis' regular business hours. For information, visit www.creativityishealing.org; or follow @artreachheals on social media.

Rock painting program in Groton May 16

The Bill Memorial Library invites students to wind down the school year by painting rocks at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 16.

Students in grades 6-12 can attend this free event that requires registration. Call the library at (860) 445-0392 to register, or go to https://bit.ly/4blVZ0T.

Sailing club meets May 16 in Old Saybrook

The Shoreline Sailing Club will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Clark Memorial Field, 210 Elm St., Old Saybrook (across the street from Pasta Vita). Members and first-time guests are free, and others pay $10.

For information about this 35-plus singles group, visit shorelinesailingclub.com. While boating is its primary focus, the calendar includes social activities throughout the year. No prior sailing experience is needed.

Seat of Our Pants performs at Friday Folk

The final Friday Folk of the season will feature Seat of Our Pants and its energetic music at 7:30 p.m. May 17 in All Souls Unitarian Universalist congregation, 19 Jay St., New London.

"Seat Of Our Pants is a great blend of musicianship and positive messages," says Bruce John of Bread Box Folk Theater. Band members include Carolyn Brodginski (guitar, ukulele, mandolin, Celtic harp, and mountain dulcimer), Michael Frantzen (fiddle), Mark Hall (cajon), and Jeff Gorman (upright bass, fretless electric bass, and harmonica).

Tickets can be bought on Humanitix, or call All Souls at 860-443-0316 by May 16 to reserve a seat: $17 advance, $20 at the door. The livestream option will go live the night of the concert on Youtube.com/@AllSoulsNewLondon. To donate, visit Venmo at https://account.venmo.com/u/FridayNightFolk-Remote.

Niantic Rotary Day of Service May 18

The Niantic Rotary will be at Samuel Peretz Park in Niantic from 10 a.m. to noon on May 18 to clean up the park as part of the multi-state and -country 2024 Rotary Day of Service taking place.

Community Raffle tickets will be available for purchase also at this event. Raffle proceeds benefit the Niantic Rotary Foundation (501c3), which funds the East Lyme High School scholarship and other food and community initiatives. Online tickets can be purchased at nianticrotary.org.

Bike helmet giveaway and rodeo May 18

The New London Elks will be hosting a free bike helmet giveaway for children from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at its building at 81 Washington St. with a free bike safety rodeo.

Children will be fitted with a free bike helmet that they can then decorate with a variety of stickers. They will then proceed to the bike rodeo where they will work through a course that teaches them how to be safe on the street, how to signal, how to approach four-way stop signs, and other important information that will keep them safe.

The New London Police Department and the New London Fire Department will be on hand, and the event will also be giving away over 50 free smoke detectors, as well as some carbon monoxide detectors. Pre-registration is encouraged by visiting www.lidsforkidsnl.org and clicking the tickets button. For information, email jpg118@gmail.com.

Yard sale May 18 to benefit Groton church

The ladies of Women's Fellowship at Groton Congregational Church will be holding a yard sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 18 at 162 Monument St., Groton.

Hundreds of vintage and collectible items from housewares to jewelry will be priced to sell. Items are sold inside and on the lawn (weather permitting). For information, visit http://www.grotonucc.org.

Ledyard Garden Club sale set for May 18

The Ledyard Garden Club will hold its annual Plant Sale from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18, at the Lower Town Green, 740 Colonel Ledyard Highway in Ledyard. The sale will include a wide selection of annuals and perennials, herbs and vegetables, grasses, shrubs and ground covers that have been dug from local gardens.

Proceeds from the sale will benefit local gardens and scholarships. Admission is free, and there is no charge for advice from experienced gardeners. For information, visit ledyardgardenclub.org or go to: theday.com. and type "Bulletin Board" into the search bar.

Henry Bill celebration May 18 in Ledyard

The Ledyard Public Library is celebrating the 200th birthday of its founder, Henry Bill, with a bash starting at 9 a.m. May 18 at the Ledyard Bill Library, 718 Colonel Ledyard Highway.

April Brunelle, Ledyard Town Councilor and balloon artist, will be on hand until 10:30 a.m., and there will also be cake, face painting, and a craft.

Following the children's activities, adults will hear "The Victorian Lady" Kandie Carle give a presentation looking at the etiquette, home life, and fashion of Henry Bill's lifetime, and particularly the era in which he first opened the library at the Ledyard Congregational Church in 1867.

Visit www.ledyardlibrary.org or call 860-464-9912 for more information.

Haitian dinner May 19 in Old Lyme

The Crosby Fund for Haitian Education celebrates 20 years of working for education in Haiti at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme.

The authentic Haitian dinner is prepared and catered by Mommy's Delicious Food of Norwich. This will be followed by a PowerPoint presentation recounting the growth of the Crosby Fund's scholarship and education program and the impact that these programs have had through the years.

For reservations, call the church at 860-434-8686. Suggested donation for the dinner is $10 per person. For information, go to crosbyfund.org.

'Hungry Headstones' performance in Griswold

At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21, writer Nick Checker will perform for the Veterans Coffee House of Eastern Connecticut in Griswold his published short story that appeared last year in Conceit Magazine out of San Francisco, "Hungry Headstones."

It's a harrowing odyssey of a young man's chilling encounter with angry souls inside the walls of an abandoned old cemetery. The story's essence holds significance to the spirit of Memorial Day, and following the presentation will be another appearance, by Michael Carroll, of his work to restore and preserve local gravesites.

The event runs from 9-11 a.m. at the Griswold Senior Center, 220 Taylor Hill Road, Jewett City. For information, contact Checker at 860-444-8711 or nickchecker@aol.com.

Preston library hosts events in May

Erica Benvenuti of the UConn New London County Extension Office will host a workshop on "Cooking with Instapot" at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, at Preston Public Library. Register at prestonpubliclibrary.org/events/.

Also, in partnership with the Preston Historical Society, at 5:30 p.m. May 30 the library will host a meeting of the Connecticut 169 Club. It's based on the book "Connecticut 169 Club: Your Passport & Guide to Exploring Connecticut" by historian Marty Podskotch, ia guide for families to set out and discover the beautiful and historic places in Connecticut. To register, visit prestonpubliclibrary.org/events/.

Woviotis Scholarship dinner May 24

The 40th annual Nick Woviotis Memorial Scholarship Award will be handed out this year on Friday, May 24 at the Italian Dramatic Club on Goshen Street in New London.

To date, more than $350,000 has been awarded to recipients. More than 95% of the recipients have completed their college education. For information, email murraytheeye@snet.net.

Bozrah Memorial Day Parade to be held May 25

The 2024 Bozrah Memorial Day Parade activities will take place starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 25.

The day will start with a short ceremony at the Veterans Memorial, while the parade will gather rain or shine at the entrance of Schwartz Road and kick off at 1 p.m., ending at the Moose Lodge for refreshments, music and an awards ceremony.

Rotary happy hour in Westbrook May 29

The Old Saybrook Rotary Club will host a happy hour at The Highliner III in Westbrook from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 29.

The Rotary Club represents the towns of Lyme/Old Lyme, Westbrook and Old Saybrook, and is seeking new members.

To attend, RSVP by May 24 to Joan Winters at wj.winters81@gmail.com or call 860-861- 8811.

Scholarship fund announces award event June 4

The Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship Fund is honored will present its second annual scholarship award at 6:30 p.m. on June 4 in the auditorium of Ledyard High School during the school's annual Awards Night.

Established in 2023 in conjunction with the 50th reunion of the LHS Class of 1973, the Gary Atkinson Imagine Scholarship Fund commemorates the life and aspirations of Gary Atkinson, a former Student Council president and valedictorian of LHS. Gary and his wife, Judy, tragically lost their lives in the 1988 PanAm Lockerbie terrorist bombing.

The scholarship aims to make a significant financial impact on the college aspirations of LHS graduates who demonstrate leadership, kindness, a commitment to continuous learning, and the ability to inspire excellence in others. Last year's award recipient, Benjamin Fieldsend, exemplified these virtues and is currently pursuing his dream of a medical career at UConn.

Those interested in learning more can visit https://imaginescholarship.org.

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