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By Kerri Provost, April 28, 2012 5:47 pm

On the first day of the first annual Connecticut Vegetarian and Healthy Living Festival we learned two things. There are far more vegetarians and veg-friendly people than we anticipated, and, the vendors will not forbid you from taking more than one (or five) samples of the Jamaican jerk tofu.

Besides the flavorful tofu, there are samples of seitan, chocolate, Italian ice, juice, granola, “Jerquee,” green tea, olive oil, vinegar, salad dressing, spices, and more. If you are then left wondering what to do with the food, various booths provide free pamphlets with recipes; there were several cookbook vendors as well. Continue reading 'Second Day of Vegetarian Festival Planned for Sunday'»

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By Kerri Provost, April 25, 2012 10:31 pm

The chants of a thousand teachers could be heard on Wells Street.

Wednesday’s rally at the State Capitol supported education reform, but not in the version of it proposed by Governor Malloy. Continue reading 'One Thousand Teachers Rally for Meaningful Education Reform'»

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By Kerri Provost, April 23, 2012 3:17 pm

Picture credit : OSA Images Costume credit : Zaldy Goco ©2011 Cirque-Jackson I.P., LLC

The contortionist, mime, tumblers and pole dancing acrobat would be enough on their own. But when Cirque du Soleil rolls into Hartford in May, they will be bringing one of Connecticut’s own with them.

Desiree Bassett — originally from Ashford, a town of 4,317 in Windham County — is the lead guitarist in Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour.

Playing within the blues and rock genres, Ms. Bassett picked up her first guitar at the age of three. She says she was mostly self-taught with help by her father, though she has had the occasional private lesson.

Her experience with Cirque du Soleil brings many firsts for her. She has not toured before, nor has she played pop.

“It was a lot of fun learning,” she said.

Despite the strong background in blues and rock, she’s open-minded enough to find some pop redeemable, saying she enjoys some of Lady Gaga’s music.

As for Michael Jackson’s songs, she named “Man in the Mirror” as her favorite, followed by “Black or White.”

During the shows, she has solos with the chance to improvise. In the show, written and directed by Jamie King, Michael Jackson’s music is rearranged, but on “Thriller,” it remains true to what audiences would expect. Continue reading 'Homecoming for Lead Guitarist in Cirque du Soleil’s MJ Tribute'»

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By Kerri Provost, April 21, 2012 6:17 pm

Open only since late February, Braza on the Plaza (10 Constitution Plaza) has “for lease” signs posted in its windows.

The restaurant had limited hours and received consistently low reviews on Yelp.

Several attempts to make contact today were for naught; nobody answered the phone during the restaurant’s posted business hours.

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By Kerri Provost, April 18, 2012 9:14 am

Not to be confused with Grilled Cheese Week or Shark Week, all next week there will be activities to celebrate the parks in Hartford. Continue reading 'Parks Week'»

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By Kerri Provost, April 13, 2012 7:27 am

Even if the Board of Trustees wanted to fence off Trinity, President Jones said, it is not going to happen. Jones described fencing as physically impossible, noting that the Allen and Summit are City streets, and not privately-owned by the college.

This was the message he gave to the approximately 30 people — mostly politicians and community activists — at a breakfast held at the Studio at Billings Forge yesterday morning. Media had been given the message that they were unwelcome at this event; the general public was not given notification of this meeting.

Several in attendance described Jones as seeming nervous, but honest. He admitted that communication between Trinity and Hartford could be better.

In a message that Jones wrote for the Trinity community as recent as last Friday, it sounded like the possibility of fencing the campus was still being entertained:

We anticipate that Margolis will use an approach called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which can involve using a variety of approaches, including landscaping, lighting, fencing, and other devices to help manage campus access.  This firm will also assess campus lighting, security cameras, frequency and styles of patrols, and the full range of campus safety techniques that characterize campus communities that are safe and secure.

There was no explanation given about this apparent inconsistency; there was no mention of whether or not the new interim director of campus safety had an impact on Trinity’s decision regarding fencing. Did the administration’s stance toward fencing evolve in a week’s time, or are two different communities being told different stories?

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By Kerri Provost, April 10, 2012 10:11 pm

Every member of the Planning and Zoning Commission voted against the zone change that would have made possible an expansion of the CREC-run Museum Academy Magnet School located on the former Hartford College for Women site. Continue reading 'CREC School Expansion Shot Down by PZC'»

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By Kerri Provost, April 5, 2012 10:43 pm

1985: Through excavating historical remnants and making educated guesses, that was the last time I thought seriously about dinosaurs. They became extinct; what more could one possibly know?

At some time between me last paying attention and now, one of my favorite dinosaurs was determined to not even exist. Thanks, Connecticut Science Center. Continue reading 'Dinosaurs Unearthed Unveiled'»

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By Kerri Provost,

Found: Button. Near entrance to Bushnell Park.

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By Kerri Provost, April 4, 2012 8:40 am

387 Capitol Avenue

One objective of the Livable & Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative is to crack down on blight.

Still waiting for that crack. Continue reading 'Movement on Blight'»