File Photo
Branford High School Chorale
An interesting mix of cool events this week. A bike ride for the hearty, a fun activity for the kids. some great music, and a bit of fashion history are all on the docket. Looking ahead a bit, now that your taxes are done, why not go through all that old paperwork stuffed in your closets and head for the Stony Creek Brewery Shred Event – you still have some time to excavate! Or head to the cop shop on Laurel Street this Saturday to take back any unused or expired medications for safe disposal. No questions asked.
Saturday, April 29
Pancake Ride
Action Sports Bicycle Center, 324 West Main St., will sponsors its first annual Pancake Ride on Saturday, April 29 (rain date Sunday, April 30), beginning at 9 a.m. After a 30-plus mile ride to the Guilford Green and back, the Action Sports Team will serve up hot pancakes, coffee and juice. To RSVP, call Lisa Maloney at 203 – 772-5812.
Police Collect Unused or Expired Meds for Safe Disposal
The Branford Police Department in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will participate in the National Drug Take-Back Day Program today.
Citizens can bring any unused or expired medications for safe disposal to the collection site located at the Branford Police Department, 33 Laurel St. No. questions asked. Officers and department staff will be on hand to help collect medication at the collection site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, April 30
Celebrate the Week of the Young Child
The Branford Early Childhood Collaborative is partnering with multiple agencies to put on a One Book One Town event for preschoolers and their families on Sunday, April 30, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Branford Early Learning Center, 16 Birch Road.
Families are invited to attend the event, which will include storytime with a soccer ball, anti-bullying and tolerance activities with a World Champion Boxer, touch-a-truck, art activities, dance sessions and more. Miss Carly and Miss Stephanie from the Blackstone Library will also be present so make sure to drop by and say hello.
This year’s One Book One Town author, Fran Manushkin, will visit to celebrate the book everyone received Happy in Our Skin.
Peace Project: Music for Peace and Brotherhood
The Peace Project is a yearlong study of music by Branford High School choral students that either promotes peace or brotherhood. The study will culminate in a concert at Yale’s Woolsey Hall in New Haven on Sunday, April 30, at 2 p.m. All tickets are $15.
The Branford High School choral groups, members of the Branford Chorale, and an orchestra of many professional musicians will perform The Peacemakers by Karl Jenkins, Find the Cost of Fresno by Crosby, Stills and Nash, Chimes of Freedom by Bob Dylan, Imagine by John Lennon, and the Ode to Joy from Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven, which features an alumni quartet.
According to Music Director Cathyann Roding, the project grew out of an experience she and her students had at the John Lennon Peace Wall in Prague last April. “My students are dedicated to using their music to do good things in this world. This project completely encompasses all that they stand for and believe in,” she said.
Fashion in Fiction
A show-and-tell on the clothing of Regency England as reflected in Jane Austen’s fiction will be presented by Kandie Carle at the Blackstone Library on Sunday, April 30, from 2 to 3 p.m. The presentation includes dressing “Elizabeth Bennet” and “Mr. Darcy,” and readings from Miss Austen’s letters and novels.
While dressed in authentic Regency attire, Carle gives a detailed overview of the clothing of the Regency Era, (early 1800s) for both gentlemen and ladies. Then she shares excerpts from Austen’s personal letters as well as passages from some of the novels, highlighting Miss Austen’s use of clothing and fashion to define character and class, enhance story line, and develop plot points. Teens through adults will enjoy discovering just how important fashion was 200 years ago.
Carle has been presenting historical programs since 1992, from Regency to Edwardian (1800 – 1915), and draws on her extensive background in theater, dance and historical fashion to engage and enthrall the audience!
To register, call the library at 203 – 488-1441.
Wednesday, May 3 to Friday, May 5
Calling All Artists
Artists are invited to bring their 6‑inch x 6‑inch unframed canvas gallery wraps to display at the Summer Small Works Show at Branford Art Center Gallery and Workshop, 1229 Main St.,
Receiving for the show is from noon to 2 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, May 3 to 5. The fee is $10 per piece, priced $100 or less with a 10 percent commission. These small works will be hung on the two front window walls creating a collective artistic statement.
The opening reception will be held on May 20 with the two-year anniversary celebration for the gallery. Call Yvonne Gordon-Moser at 860 – 334-4642 or email [email protected], and visit the gallery website, www.branfordartcenterct.com.
Saturday, May 13
Stony Creek Brewery Shred Event
Stony Creek Brewery will hold a Shred Event to benefit Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center on Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Brewery’s parking lot at 5 Indian Neck Ave. A $5 donation is requested for each box of paper; 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Closer to Free Charity for the Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center.
Open to the public, the Shred Event is an opportunity to securely destroy confidential documents and records, protecting them from identity theft.
The Shred Event service will accept papers, photographs, blue prints, and a variety of other documents.
After the event guests are welcome to visit the Stony Creek Brewery, which will open at 10 a.m. Guests can enjoy a selection of 16 Stony Creek beers as well as a variety of wines and soda at their waterfront grounds.
For more information on Stony Creek Brewery visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/StonyCreekBeer or visit the Stony Creek Brewery website at www.stonycreekbeer.com.
Friday, May 19
Branford Compassion Club Celebrates 20 Years
The Branford Compassion Club feline rescue and adoption organization celebrates its 20th anniversary Friday, May 19, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., with Swing Cats Cocktail Party, a Swing era-themed benefit, at Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club, 2 Club Parkway.
Attendees will be transported back to a ’40s nightclub and get “in the mood” with the spirited dancing music of the aptly named The Survivors Swing Band, inspired by its lively 95-year-old sax player Jules Bashkin.
As BCC has survived and grown from a small group of volunteers working out of their homes to an 80-plus-member organization of volunteers with its own Feline Rescue & Adoption Center at 2037 Foxon Road, North Branford, The Survivors carry on their mission of keeping alive the music of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and other musical giants of the 1930s and ’40s.
There will be dancing, silent auction, hors d’oeuvres stations, surprises, and a lot of appreciation to those who have supported the privately funded BCC for two decades. ’40s attire is encouraged, but not required. Tickets are $75 a person, available through brownpapertickets.com or by emailing [email protected].
This is one of only two major annual fundraisers, which help defray the daunting task of keeping BCC’s shelter open and vibrant. The other is Animal Awareness Day, Oct. 1 on the Branford Green.
BCC’s Feline Rescue & Adoption Center, 2037 Foxon Road, North Branford, is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more event info, call Donna Doherty (203 – 481-3595) or Peg Johnson (203 – 444-0653). To donate or volunteer, visit http://www.branfordcompassionclub.org or call 203 – 483-6369.
Saturday, May 20
Tom Lewis at Branford Folk Music Society
The Branford Folk Music Society will present Tom Lewis, one of North America’s foremost exponents of contemporary sea songs, on Saturday, May 20, at 8 p.m., at the First Congregational Church, 1009 Main St.
His repertoire – from traditional shanties to songs fashioned out of his own seafaring background – recruits his audience for a voyage by turns reflective, dramatic and humorous. Long a Branford Folk audience favorite, this will be Tom’s sixth appearance at the coffeehouse.
His musical career began in 1960 when he was posted to a naval station in Scotland and began frequenting local folk clubs. He retired from the Her Majesty’s Royal Navy in 1983.
Born in Northern Ireland, Tom’s Celtic heritage is obvious in his clear, strong voice, evoking quiet sorrow for a fisherman lost to the sea just as honestly as it powers out a shanty “to be heard above the gales.” Because of his naval background, he brings a rare authenticity to the realm of nautical song. Admission is $25 for non-members, $20 for members, $5 for children 12 and under.
Sunday, May 21
“Evergreen Woofs” Dog Parade
The ninth annual Evergreen Woofs Dog Parade will take place Sunday, May 21, at 10 a.m., at Evergreen Woods Community Building parking lot and lawn, 88 Notch Hill Road, North Branford.
The event is a fundraiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind of Southern Connecticut, whose territory stretches from Wallingford to Deep River to New Haven. Dogs of all walks of life – and their owners – are welcome. Registration is $5 per pooch, with a unique award given to each entrant. Hot dogs and lemonade will be sold as well.
For more information, call Briana Benn-Mirandi at 203 – 483-3224 or email [email protected].
Rotary Dollars For Branford Scholars: Deadline May 22
The Rotary Club of Branford offers its annual scholarship to Branford high school seniors who are pursuing advanced education in the fall 2017. The award of $3,000 will be given to the applicant who provides outstanding evidence in academic achievement, community service, Rotary values, and financial need.
The application has three components to be fulfilled. First is a student-written essay focusing on Rotary principles. Then supportive documentation as specified in the application requirements such as high school transcript and teachers’ references. Finally, is an interview with a panel of Rotarians.
The applicant may be a pending graduate of any accredited Connecticut high school. This scholarship is for undergraduate study at a two or four-year college or technical school. Branford residency is required.
Applications for the Rotary scholarship are available at [email protected] and the Branford High School guidance office as well as the James Blackstone Memorial Library and Willoughby Wallace Library. Completed application packets must be received by May 22. For more information, call Tony Terry at 203 – 481-6424.
Summer Playground Camp
Registration is open for Branford Recreation Department’s Summer Playground Camp for ages 5 – 12, which begins July 3. The camp will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, July 3 to Aug. 11 (no camp on July 4).
Cost for the basic camp program is $400 for six weeks. A Before Care Program costs an additional $125 and an After Care Program (from 3 to 5 p.m.) is an additional $175 per camper. Site choices for the 2017 Summer Camp include Hammer Field, Veteran’s Memorial Park, Stony Creek Playground, and Foote Park. Field trips are included in the basic camp fee with the exception of Lake Compounce Day (July 25), which is an additional $50. There are limited spots on the trip to Lake Compounce. Children must be enrolled in Summer Camp to register for this trip.
For further information or to register, the office at 203 – 488-8304 or to enroll online go to www.branfordrecreation.org.
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