OneManchester

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022

THE NEXT THREE DAYS feature special events in town starting with a Black History Month celebration at the Mahoney Leisure Labs on Friday night. That's followed by a weekend's worth of activities to recognize International Mother Language Day -- a drop-in event on Saturday at Whiton Library and then speeches, songs, dances, poetry and more on Sunday at MHS. We have it all broken down below. Btw, if you enjoy OneManchester and want it emailed to you every Thursday morning just click here.

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FRIDAY (6-8 p.m.) at the Culture Lab at Mahoney Center


  • Events include special speakers, performers, food, and children’s activities.
  • Featured will be Abu (inset) of the Afro-Semitic Experience, Manchester Poet Laureate Ryan Parker, Black Joy Poetry Contest Winners, Poets Kwasi & Vida Veronica Ntem-Mensah and more.
  • For details please click here.
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SATURDAY (12:30-4:30 p.m.) at the Whiton Branch Library


  • Includes a Story Hour, Poetry Recitation, Documentary Film, Arts and Crafts and Multicultural Food.
  • In order to attend, you must call the Library at 860-645-0821 to register.
  • There's more information here.



SUNDAY (2 p.m.) at Manchester High’s Bailey Auditorium


  • Speakers will include Dr. Fahmeed Hyder (inset), a Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at Yale. You can learn more about him here.
  • The program will also feature songs, dances poetry and more.
  • Free tickets are required in order to attend; for information, call the Manchester Adult and Continuing Education Program at 860-647-5075.
  • Click here for more.
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In The Spotlight

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Treyvon Brown (a student engagement specialist) and Latasha Easterling-Turnquest (the district's Chief of Family Partnership and Student Engagement) were interviewed for a piece that you can see by clicking here.
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Proposed School Budget Trimmed

The Board of Education on Monday trimmed it by almost $1 million then approved Superintendent Matt Geary's recommended budget for the 2022-23 school year. The $121.5 million spending plan goes next to General Manager Steve Stephanou, then to the Board of Directors who make the final appropriation. Here's the JI story.


ALSO:


  • As Geary explained in an email to the MPS community late last week, masks will be optional in the district beginning on February 28 (but will still need to be worn on buses and at the Manchester Preschool Center). Read his letter here.
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Around the District

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The Connecticut's Women's Hall of Fame presented 'STEMfems'- a day of virtual science programs and positive female role models to girls at MHS and Illing Monday morning. Students heard success stories from women professionals at Pfizer, Medtroic and Slalom, participated in virtual labs and learned about STEM pioneers who have been inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame.

Nice Weather, Big Crowds

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Last Saturday, WORK_SPACE was buzzing with local arts and crafts during its '2nd Saturday Gallery Open House,' and around the corner at Nathan Hale School, the Spruce Street Farmers Market's 'Love Your Local Indoor Market' drew large numbers on a spring-like day.
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The Week Ahead, Etc.

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Thursday, Feb. 17
1:30 - 6:30 p.m. -- Blood Drive at North United Methodist Church, 300 Parker St.
6 - 9 p.m. -- Manchester Makes Meals with Chantal Thomas at Mahoney Center.
6:30 p.m. -- Nutrition as we age with host Tracey Luciani of ECHN at Whiton Library.


Friday, Feb. 18

10 a.m. -- 5:30 p.m. -- Blood Drive at Buckland Hills Mall
6 -8 p.m. -- Black History Month celebration at Culture Lab at Mahoney Rec, 110 Cedar St.


Saturday, Feb. 19

8:30 a.m. -- Daycare Provider First Aid & Heart Saver hybrid course at 75 Center St.
10 a.m. - noon -- Planting Party at Spruce St. Community Garden, 153 Spruce St.
12:30 - 4:30 p.m. -- International Mother Language Day celebration at Whiton Library.


Sunday, Feb. 20

2 p.m. -- International Mother Language Day celebration at MHS.



Monday, Feb. 21

Town offices and libraries will be closed in observance of Washington’s birthday - no delay in curbside collection.

No school -- Presidents Day Recess

Tuesday, Feb. 22
No school -- Presidents Day Recess

9 a.m. -- YSB Basketball Tournament at Mahoney Rec, 110 Cedar St.


Wednesday, Feb. 23
1:30 - 6 p.m. -- COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics at Odyssey Community School.
6 - 8 p.m. -- Middle School Nights at Mary Cheney Library.

6:30 p.m. -- Three Connecticut Book Awards Finalists at Whiton Library.

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DOWN THE ROAD


An evening of Designer Bags and More Bingo will be held Friday, March 11 at Cheney Hall to raise funds for the sculpture of Elisabeth Bennet. There will be 10 Bingo Games with over $1,800 in prizes. Click for more (and here you will find a brief history of the Sculpture Project).

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Other Newsletters

  • Manchester Matters: Scholarship money available, Little League softball and baseball sign-ups have begun, MAAC food pantries in need of donations, and more.

  • Manchester Historical Society: Then & Now exhibit coming next month, properties update, and plenty of old timey pictures.

  • Manchester Adult and Continuing Education: Black History Month tributes, meet Ruth Palomino who is from Peru and improving her English skills at MA&CE, and International Mother Language Day is Monday.

  • Better Manchester: Luminaries of Change nominations, registration for programs/events opening soon and What does Black History Month mean to you?

Shockers' Season Opener Saturday

The Hartford Shockers host the Lehigh Valley Flight Saturday at 5 p.m. at East Catholic in the season opener for both East Coast Basketball League's clubs. The Shockers feature a pair of Manchester residents - Tylon Smith Jr. who played at SCSU and was the ECBL's Mid-Atlantic Conference Player-of-the-Year last season with the Western Mass Zombies, and Malik Cameron who was an all-conference player at Manchester High and played for Jim Calhoun at St. Joseph's University. Click here for more information on the ECBL and the Shockers.
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Life in the Fast Lane

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MHS sophomore Jakub Pawlik-Mazowko powers through the 100-meter butterfly Tuesday afternoon in a meet against East Catholic.
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Yesterday was the 100th day of the school year and to mark the occasion Ms. Smith's Highland Park kindergarteners dressed up as though they were 100 years old. Elsewhere around the district, some students received certificates and DQ cones from Student Engagement Specialists for coming to school everyday for 100 days. We'll post more photos and details on the district FB page.

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OneManchester is compiled by Jim Farrell of the school district's communications office; he can be reached at b11jfarr@mpspride.org or 860-268-6377. OneManchester has been published since August 2017 and features the photography of Paul Ofria. Want to subscribe? Just click here.