OneManchester
Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022
BRACE YOURSELVES. Electric rates will be rising dramatically in January and people who study such things say energy prices could be volatile for long after that. Among municipalities, though, Manchester is in better shape than most because of investments made during the past few years including the installation of thousands of solar panels atop town buildings and last week’s installment of a solar flower outside Buckley Elementary, which is the state’s first Net Zero Energy public school. We have it all covered below and also have this invitation to subscribe to our newsletter.
A High 5 (Thousand, That Is)
The installation of solar photovoltaic systems at seven municipal buildings, including six schools (that’s Waddell and Highland Park below), is projected to save the town more than $100,000 annually in energy costs. The other buildings -- Verplanck, Martin, Manchester High, Manchester Regional Academy and the Water and Sewer Building on Spring Street. This press release has all the details.
... And Flower Power at Buckley
New App Will Track School Bus Location
The school district and transportation provider First Student will soon be launching FirstView, a bus tracking and parent communications app for your smartphone or desktop. The app lets you track where your child’s bus is in real-time and has a multi-stop view if you have multiple students on different buses. Parents and guardians will receive an email soon with information about how to download the app.
Gentlemen, Start Your Engines
Notebook
- TOY DRIVE: Manchester Public Schools Building & Grounds Dept. is collecting toys for Manchester Children through Dec. 15. Drop-off info is here.
- CLASS OF 2023 FUNDRAISER: Buy your poinsettias at Woodland Gardens and support Project Graduation. Details are here.
- BOARD OF EDUCATION: The next Board of Education meeting will be on Monday, Dec. 12 with a review of fall data on the agenda.The meeting will be televised live on the district FB page and you can learn how to participate here.
Holiday Concerts
Also This Week
For the eighth consecutive year, the school district is participating in PJ Day for the Kids. It’s tomorrow and students and staff will wear pajamas to school to raise money and awareness for the Children's Medical Center in Hartford. Donations can also be made at https://give.connecticutchildrens.org/MPS
Thursday, Dec. 8
8 a.m. -- Manchester Economic Development Commision meeting at Lincoln Center.
6:30 p.m. -- Wanderlust Book Club at Mary Cheney Library.
8 p.m. -- Managing Anxiety with Naturopath, Carolina Gonzalez, ND at Manchester Memorial Hospital, 71 Haynes St.
Friday, December 9
PJ Day for the Kids
7 p.m. -- Street Smart Self Defense Clinic at 1404 Tolland Tpke.
Saturday, Dec. 10
8:30 a.m.-- CPR classes for the general community, new parents and child care providers at 75 Center St.
10 a.m. -- Second Saturday, Downtown Main St.
10 a.m. -- Card-making Station at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.
10 a.m.-- Blank Canvas: Sunrise, Sunset at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.
11 a.m. -- Free lunch drive through at St. John’s Catholic Church, 23 Golway St.
Sunday, Dec. 11
1 -4 p.m. -- Cheney Homestead Open House, 106 Hartford Rd.
1:30 - 4 p.m. -- Pizza with Santa, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus at St. James Church Hall, 896 Main St.
Monday, Dec. 12
1 - 6 p.m. -- Red Cross Blood Drive at Manchester Church of Christ, 595 Tolland Tpke.
7 p.m. -- BOE Meeting at Lincoln Center.
Tuesday, Dec. 13
2:30 p.m. -- Holiday Ornament Craft event at Mary Cheney Library (registration started on Dec. 6).
7 p.m. -- BOD meeting at Lincoln Center.
7 p.m. -- Every Christmas Story Ever Told at Cheney Hall.
Wednesday, Dec. 14
6 a.m. -- Lotus Flower Lantern workshop at Whiton Memorial Library.
Wickham Park’s 40th Annual Santa’s workshop opens on Saturday at 1 p.m. and runs through Dec. 23.
‘The Nutcracker’ will be at both Cheney Hall and Manchester High School on Saturday and Sunday. Click the links for showtimes and ticket info.
CAST children’s theatre has performances of ‘The Grunch’ over the next two weekends at Buckley School. Click here for details.
Manchester Public Schools Building & Grounds Dept. is collecting toys for Manchester Children through Dec. 15. Drop-off info is here.
Manchester’s Leaf Collection program is now in Area II and you can follow the progress on this status map (through Dec. 6), and for more details on the program, click here.
The deadline for submisions for International Mother Language Day 'Language is Art' Exhibit is Dec. 23 and you can click here for more details.
Down the Road:
Charlie Brown Holiday Jazz with the Eric Mintel Quartet at Cheney Hall on Dec. 16.
The Spruce Street Farmer's Market, holiday edition will be Saturday, Dec. 17. Click here for details.
YSB has several fun events planned for kids during the holiday break - a skating party at South Windsor Arena on Dec. 28, a trampoline park (Dec. 29) and a taco party on Dec. 30 - the latter two at 63 Linden St.
In The News
- The town took a step this week that could lead to the purchase of the Tong Building at the low end of Downtown. Read about it in the JI.
- The Journal also has a story about approval for a cannabis micro cultivation facility on Colonial Road.
Other Newsletters
Manchester Historical Society: The Town Historian is planning 23 separate hikes in 2023 to mark Manchester’s 200th anniversary…a picture taken on Case Mountain 100 years ago by venerable photographer John Knoll…the December television show is a one-act play that tells the story of Bill Madden, the Cheney security guard who was murdered in a botched silk robbery in 1919.
Better Manchester Magazine: Winter/Spring programming registration is underway …sign up for a special call from Santa…write a card for active duty troops and veterans…and share your thoughts on the ‘Your Voice Matters’ idea board.
Manchester Matters: The latest edition has info on your sewer bill delay, board meetings, Town Hall gift shop and the leaf collection program. Click the link to subscribe.
Sports Notes
- Manchester's 10u football team beat Saddleback Valley of California in a consolation bracket game at the Pop Warner national championships in Orlando after losing its opener to Addison, Illinois. Here's the bracket.
- The MHS baseball team's online store will be open till Dec. 11. Click the here to see the great merch available for holiday shopping, and here to learn more about the MHS Redhawks Baseball Boosters.
The defending DIII state champion Newington Hockey Coop hockey team is hosting a Holiday Skate fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 8:30-10 p.m. at Newington Ice Arena. The team is made up with players from Newington, Berlin, Manchester and Cromwell -- and for more info, contact Jen Ranger at jenranger@comcast.net
- NOTE: OneManchester is compiled by Paul Ofria of the school district's communications office but is dependent on contributions from people and institutions throughout the town and school district. So if you have something, anything, that you think people would want to know about, please let us know. Photos, fliers, links, tips, whatever -- please share with Paul at pofria@mpspride.org.