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Sabrina, Lucas and Leah are the latest students to join our 'Human of Manchester' gallery as we continue to spotlight standout students at the high school. You can read all about them on the district Facebook page and other MPS social media sites.

At the end of an almost four-hour meeting Monday night the Board of Education approved on a party line vote a $125.5 million budget, which is now on the desk of the town's General Manager. The budget will eventually be set by the Board of Directors in April. You can watch a replay on the district Facebook page.

The event is put together by volunteers and depends on donations, and you can learn how to support the MHS Class of '23 Project Graduation operation by clicking here.

Also of note:

• The Winter Family Survey is still up. Input from families is valuable and makes a difference.
  

• The FirstView bus tracking and parent communications 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. Click for details.

• Check out the latest edition of Manchester High's The Pulse; it includes stories on Summit Studio, the co-op hockey team's fundraiser to help cancer patients and more.

That's Illing Principal Idelisa Torres giving teacher Michael Perrotti a new look to the delight of students and staff, the culmination of a fundraiser for the drama club and school store that raised about $700.

Community planning today, a holiday weekend coming up.

Thursday, Feb. 16

8 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Manchester Next’s community open house at the Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center, 153 Spruce St.
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Shake, Rattle & Roll for children 2-5 years old at Mary Cheney Library.
12:15 - 5:30 p.m. -- Red Cross blood drive at North United Methodist Church, 300 Parker St.
2:30 - 6 p.m. -- Manchester Teen Center is open, 63 Linden St.
6:30 p.m. -- Ice Fishing 101 at Mary Cheney Library.
6:30 p.m. -- Creative art class with artist, teacher, author Dorothy L. Hall at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.

Friday, Feb. 17
10 a.m. - noon -- Preschool playgroup at Mary Cheney Library.
Noon - 3:30 p.m. -- COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Senior Center, 549 East Middle Tpke.
7 p.m. -- Fundraiser for Rebuilding Together of Manchester at the Hartford Wolfpack game.

Saturday, Feb. 18
10:30 a.m. -- Blooming into Greatness children’s program at Mary Cheney Library.
11 a.m. -- Free lunch drive through at St. John’s Polish National Church.
7 p.m. -- Added performance: Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: a Sherlock Holmes Comedy at Cheney Hall.

Sunday, Feb 19
1 -2 p.m. -- History walk in the North End starting at the rear parking lot of the 8th District office, 18 Main Street,

Monday, Feb. 20
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Storytime at Whiton Library.
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.-- Boys II Men enrichment program at YSB, 63 Linden St.

Tuesday, Feb. 21
6 - 7 p.m. -- Shrove Tuesday-Fat Tuesday-Mardi Gras Pancake Supper at Second Congregational Church, 385 North Main St.
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. -- Preschool Bingo Blast at Mary Cheney Library.

Wednesday, Feb. 22
9 a.m. -- Management of Chronic Pain: An Integrative Approach, at Manchester Memorial Hospital, 71 Hayes St.
12:30 - 6 p.m. -- Manchester Teen Center is open, 63 Linden St.

ALSO THIS WEEK

• Town offices will be closed on Feb. 20 to celebrate Presidents’ Day.

• Manchester Public Schools will be closed on February 20 and 21 for Presidents’ Day recess.

• Last chance to see Ken Ludwig’s ‘Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Comedy’ at Cheney Hall this weekend, with an added permanence on Saturday. Click the link for details and showtimes.

• Sponsor a bowler and help support MARC Inc’s Rockin’ Bowl-A-Thon.

DOWN THE ROAD

Next weekend will be a busy one, with IMLD activities and also acclaimed storyteller Len Cabral in town.

• CAST children’s theatre’s production of “Into the Woods, Jr.” runs Thursday and Friday, Feb. 23, 24 at Manchester High School’s Bailey Auditorium. Click here for times and ticket info.

• The Mother Language Day celebration will be Feb. 25 and 26 and the ‘Language is Art’ exhibit opens on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Culture Lab, at Leisure Labs, 110 Cedar St.

• Award winning storyteller Len Cabral will be at the History Center on Feb. 26 to share personal stories and folktales from around the world.

• BSA Troop 123 is holding a pancake breakfast fundraiser on Feb 25. Click here for details.

• Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 12.

• ‘Ticket to Ride’ will be celebrating the music of the Beatles at Cheney Hall on March 18.

• Save the Date: April 29 for Rebuilding Together in Manchester

What to do with the town-owned log cabin on Case Mountain? A committee debating that issue meets tonight and the JI has the story.

Also:

Better Manchester Magazine: Mother Language Day Celebration preview; put your name in for a garden bed at the Spruce Street Community Garden for 2023; learn about the ‘Pups in the Parks’ program, meet the MPS Dept. of Race & Equity and share your thoughts on the ‘Your Voice Matters Idea Board.’

Manchester Adult & Continuing Education: Learn interesting facts on Black history from Dr. CK; Meet the Coonecticut Adult and Continuing Ed award winners; enrollment info on classes that start March 20; take a creative writing class and a whole lot more.

Manchester Historical Society: Storytelling and more with len Cabral at the History Center on Feb. 26; calling all artists to participate in a town-wide art project featuring art of the present time and art of the future; circle March 5 on your calendar for the ‘Women of the Cheney Family’ exhibit opening and an opportunity to help judge History Day projects.

Manchester Matters: Town offices will be closed on Monday but trash will be picked up on schedule; there’s free income tax assistance available for residents; A draft of Manchester Next, the Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), is now available.Click here for a free subscription.

Junior Tiara Tyson scored her 1000th point last week at Conard but was recognized for the achievement before Tuesday night's home game, a dramatic 58-52 win against East Hartford. Tiara scored 41 points as MHS recovered from an early deficit for its second straight win

The Illing boys basketball team beat JFK Middle School (Enfield) 65-36 in the Connecticut River Athletic League semi-final on Monday afternoon with a little help from their friends - the Illing cheerleaders, pep band and a loud supportive crowd. The pep band had a few guest performers for its last outing of the year, including school superintendent Matt Geary on trumpet.

• 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.