A Walk for Jane and a Dash for a Difference
Comments (0) There are two upcoming scavenger hunts in Hartford. Continue reading 'A Walk for Jane and a Dash for a Difference'»
Category: downtown
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Legacy of Hartford Parks
By Kerri Provost, August 27, 2010 8:31 am
The Pump House Gallery reopened its doors as an art space Thursday evening. The site has gone from a state of neglect to one that we can be proud of: the patio has been weeded, walls have been given a fresh coat of white paint, and the terribly faded sign over the entrance has been repainted. As part of The Week of the Parks, Bushnell Park had its grass mowed, shrubs removed from the front of the Pump House Gallery, branches trimmed, and benches repaired. Continue reading 'Legacy of Hartford Parks'»
A Restroom of One’s Own: Guide to Bathrooms in Downtown Hartford
By Kerri Provost, August 23, 2010 6:13 am
No matter how you get into the city — whether it’s by foot, bicycle, private automobile, bus, train, taxi, or boat — chances are that you will be confronted with a concern more pressing than where to park. And unlike parking lots and garages, toilets are generally not marked with a bright red and yellow sign.
Some of the bathrooms listed here may be technically “private” or “patron use only.” Years ago I worked at a place that kept its bathrooms locked, requiring employees to unlock them for customers. When this store remodeled, they removed the locks. I am sure that this decision had something to do with the number of times customers would relieve themselves in the hallway when nobody arrived in time to unlock the restroom. If owners enjoy cleaning up human waste, or are able to demand their employees do so, then by all means, keep the doors locked. Any restroom requiring a key or password is not included here, as that’s much too much hassle when in a rush.
Proximity (Can I make it in time?), cleanliness (Was it cleaned since 1985?), and accessibility (Is it on ground level/main floor? Are toilets unlocked during business hours?) are taken into account. These are all places that one can waltz in and out of without pressure to buy anything; no fuss, no muss..better even, no mess.
Suitable Places for a Rest Continue reading 'A Restroom of One’s Own: Guide to Bathrooms in Downtown Hartford'»
Tenth Annual Dragon Boat & Asian Festival this Weekend
By Kerri Provost, August 21, 2010 2:54 pm
Note: Due to rain, the Asian Festival has been canceled for Sunday. The Dragon Boat races are still going on as planned.
Festivities began Saturday morning and go until 4 pm. They will resume at 10 on Sunday and continue through 2 in the afternoon.
A record-setting 67 teams are participating in this year’s dragon boat races. Participants range in age and ability. There are corporate teams, athletes, and people who have some sense of humor, giving their teams names like Blazing Paddles and Splashing Tigers, Soaking Dragons,
Besides boat racing, there are musical performances, martial arts demonstrations, cultural booths, vendors, and more.
The two females pictured above were part of the Malee’s School of Tai Chi and Kung Fu demo on the upper level of the Riverfront Plaza.
Continue reading 'Tenth Annual Dragon Boat & Asian Festival this Weekend'»
Music and Movies in the Park After Dark
By Kerri Provost, August 18, 2010 12:02 am
The recently spruced up Pump House Gallery has begun to get use again. Last Friday there was a jazz performance and on Tuesday evening there were two short films. Both events were free. The audience brought coolers, blankets, and lawn chairs to make the outdoor entertainment more comfortable. No food is available for purchase at the Pump House Gallery, though its location in Bushnell Park makes for a quick and easy walk to any number of restaurants.
Casa Linda: Sixth Beautiful Home
By Kerri Provost, August 3, 2010 12:13 am
The sixth home featured in this series is actually several homes.
Burr Mall
By Kerri Provost, August 2, 2010 9:45 pm
A recent visit to City Hall ended with me relaxing in Burr Mall. I’ve lingered here before, but this is the first time since the Wadsworth Atheneum’s recent construction that I have been in the area, which means it is the first that I noticed the fencing banner facing the small park. It shows a black and white timeline of Burr Mall, including photos of when it appeared considerably different than it does today.
Burr Mall, actually the Alfred E. Burr Memorial, was named after who the New York Times referred to in 1894 as the “oldest newspaper man, by actual years of service, in New-England.” Burr worked for the Hartford Times, located across from one end of the mall.
Did you know that Burr Mall has its own website? There’s not much there, but it exists, which is something. If you take a look at this photo, you can see a fake owl on top of the Stegosaurus. My guess is that it is there to keep pigeons away.
New Life for the Pump House Gallery
By Kerri Provost, July 31, 2010 7:09 pm
The Pump House on the edge of Bushnell Park has been closed for a few years. In past incarnations, it has been a cafe and a grill, in addition to a gallery.
On August 26th, there will be an art opening at the Pump House Gallery. Before this happens, the building and grounds will need some sprucing up.
This morning, community volunteers began to remove weeds and overgrown vegetation from the patio that faces Pulaski Circle.
Inside the building, volunteers began to clean and refresh the movable canvas walls which art will be mounted on later. A more thorough clean up of the park will be happening on Thursday, August 26th during the Week of the Parks. Attending to the overgrown hedges around the Pump House is one of the items on the City’s to do list for late August. Continue reading 'New Life for the Pump House Gallery'»
Hartford Treasures on Display
By Kerri Provost, July 30, 2010 9:24 am
History nerds should stop by the third floor of the Hartford Public Library before September 30th. There is an array of materials on display, from photographs to books to old posters advertising “ponderous” events.
Among the most interesting, to me, were the photographs of famous women from Connecticut. There were also images and artifacts related to the circus fire.
Another area of interest is the display created by Hartford Prints. Hartford Public High School students selected historical photographs to interpret and link to the future. One example of this is a picture of visitors to Elizabeth Park. The interpretation is a print in which a woman’s dress has changed form to “soften” her a bit, and then her umbrella is printed in a deep pink, which has been noted as being a completely modern color.
The exhibit is free.
CCC Designated as a Leader College
By Kerri Provost, July 27, 2010 3:20 pm
Capital Community College, located on Main Street, has received the Leader College designation from the national nonprofit Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count organization. It has received this honor “for demonstrating sustained improvement and accomplishments on key student achievement indicators.”
The college has recently implemented several initiatives through Achieving the Dream, such as:
- The Black & Latino Male Resource Center: Mentors helping minority men navigate the challenges of college,
- Learning Communities: Interactive environment and tutoring support for students in a developmental sequence, to help them transition to credit courses, and
- Math Intervention: Using embedded tutors and math tutoring software to help developmental math students in and out of the classroom.
Other colleges that have been dubbed as Leader Colleges include: Alamo Community College District, Brazosport College, Martin Community College, Northampton Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and Yakima Valley Community College.
