The Hard Hittin' Express

Track Meet

nbphoto — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:24:34 +0000

Newington senior Jack Kusinski throws discus in the track meet at Veteran's Stadium in New Britain.

Changes

nbphoto — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:06:10 +0000

Back to Blogging after brief break.

Girls in the youth choir, left to right, Faith Walker, Azhnai Tullis, Kayla Hawley, Tiana Sweeney (sitting on the lap of Amber Poindexter) Tinazia Shumpert-Tullis, and Nala Walker, wait in the back hall of the Saint James Missionary Baptist Church before the celebration of the churches' 60th anniversary. (5/24/09)

After weeks of neglecting the H.H. Express and deciding what I wanted to do with it, I’ve decided to change the format a bit. It was with the best intentions that I poured much of my energy into running stories from others and myself, along with my pictures of events from around the greater New Britain area.

Blogs at times seem to me like pet monsters — they start out small and only need a little food, but before long they’ve grown too big for the backyard and the budget. Rather than starving the little guy, I feel it best to simply put him on a diet. I hope you all find this new approach leaner, meaner and every bit as hard hittn’ as before.

-Chris

Opera at Trinity on Main

nbphoto — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:58:21 +0000

The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra Rehearses

The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra rehearses for their Friday night concert, "Freedom Calls" at the Trinity on Main performance center. (5/12/09)

The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra rehearses for their Friday night concert, "Freedom Calls" at the Trinity on Main performance center. (5/12/09)

First cello Kathy Schiano performs with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, during their rehearsal for the Friday night concert, "Freedom Calls" at the Trinity on Main performance center. (5/12/09)

Bass Laurentiu Rotaru sings with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, during the rehearsal for their Friday night concert, "Freedom Calls" at the Trinity on Main performance center. (5/12/09)

Concert master Brunilda Myftaraj and first violin Aaron Packard, perform during the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra's rehearsal for their Friday night concert, "Freedom Calls" at the Trinity on Main performance center. (5/12/09)

Conductor Adrian Sylveen Mackiewicz, directs singer Laurentiu Rotaru and the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, during the rehearsal for their Friday night concert, "Freedom Calls" at the Trinity on Main performance center. (5/12/09)

Fish dead of natural causes at city park

nbphoto — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:31:23 +0000

Fish kill for Love

Stanley Quarter Pond, at Stanley Quarter Park, in New Britain. (5/11/09)

By JAMES CRAVEN
Staff Writer – The Herald

NEW BRITAIN — The loop around Stanley Quarter Park Pond is popular with joggers, walkers and skateboarders but the stench of hundreds of dead sunfish had many cutting short their outdoor activities Monday.(more)

Maria Arroya of New Britain, holds her nose in reaction to the smell emanating from the Stanley Quarter Pond, as state Rep. Tim O'Brien, D-24th district, makes a call to his office, and the DEP, in order to find out the cause of the fish kill in the pond. (5/11/09)

A dead fish in Stanley Quarter Pond, at Stanley Quarter Park, in New Britain. (5/11/09)

State Rep. Tim O'Brien, D-24th district, makes a call to his office, and the DEP, in order to find out the cause of the fish kill in the pond. (5/11/09)

Dead fish in Stanley Quarter Pond, at Stanley Quarter Park, in New Britain. (5/11/09)

Happy Mother’s Day

nbphoto — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:35:20 +0000

Various Moms on their day.

Carnations for moms at the Mother's Day breakfast at the Elk's Club in Bristol. (5/10/09)

Pam Baclaski of Berlin, with her four-year-old daughter Bailey, and two-year-old son Jack, visit the New Britain Museum of American Art on Mother's Day. (5/10/09)

Left to right, Marissa Haynes, of Berlin, with her aunt Liliane Desrochers of Bristol, grandmother Helen Adamus, of New Britain, and mother Maryann Haynes, of Berlin, tour the New Britain Museum of American Art, where on Mother's Day, moms got in for free. (5/10/09)

Flowers for sale on Mother's Day at Zarrella Farms in Plainville. (5/10/09)

Kristen Bouchard of Bristol with her four-year-old daughter Sophia, pick out flowers for their garden, on Mother's Day at Zarrella Farms in Plainville. (5/10/09)

Symphony celebrates 60

nbphoto — Thu, 07 May 2009 05:51:08 +0000

Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,

The New Britain Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Maurice Peress, rehearses at CCSU's Welte Hall. (5/5/09)

By JENNIFER ABEL
Staff writer

NEW BRITAIN — This Saturday, the New Britain Symphony Orchestra is hosting its final concert of the 2008-09 season, and also celebrating its 60th anniversary performing music for greater New Britain. But Maurice Peress, who took over as the symphony’s new music director after the untimely death of former conductor Jesse Levine last November, is focusing on the future rather than the past.(more)

The New Britain Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Maurice Peress, rehearses at CCSU's Welte Hall. (5/5/09)

First violin Michelle Abraham plays with the New Britain Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Maurice Peress, during the symphony's rehearsal at CCSU's Welte Hall. (5/5/09)

The New Britain Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Maurice Peress, rehearses at CCSU's Welte Hall. (5/5/09)

Bruce Bellingham, left, and Christopher Laghans, both on double bass's, with the New Britain Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Maurice Peress, during the symphony's rehearsal at CCSU's Welte Hall. (5/5/09)

The New Britain Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Maurice Peress, rehearses at CCSU's Welte Hall. (5/5/09)

Second violin Lynne MacDonald plays with the New Britain Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Maurice Peress, as it rehearses at CCSU's Welte Hall. (5/5/09)

You can’t keep O’Connor out of race

nbphoto — Sun, 03 May 2009 13:01:19 +0000

Farmington Coach Fights

Chris O'Connor coaching a Unified Sports track practice in Farmington. (4/29/09)

By KEN LIPSHEZ
Staff Writer – The Herald

FARMINGTON — Tell Chris O’Connor she can’t do something, then give her some time, stand back and watch the sparks fly.

O’Connor, a lifelong champion of female leadership through sports, taught in the Farmington school system for 35 years, reaping accolades that will fill a den wall. Now she’s coaching Unified Sports — soccer, basketball and track — at Farmington High, from which she graduated in 1968 as a top female athlete when those two words were seldom grouped.

….

But in January, O’Connor heard those words that would make most mortals stop, shiver and weep. She had an abnormality on a mammogram. Given her outlook on life, she thought positive thoughts, but that ugly word — cancer — had invaded her world.

It neither stopped her nor affected her mission. (more)

Coach Chris O'Connor leads the Farmington Unified Sports track team during their warm up, before practice at Farmington High School. (4/29/09)

Chris O'Connor coaching a Unified Sports track practice in Farmington. (4/29/09)

Coach Chris O'Connor, positions athelete Alison Hung to receive the batton from partner Mary Hogan, during a Unified Sports track practice at Farmington High School. (4/29/09)

Coach Chris O'Connor congratulates Unified Sports athelete Jeremy Hellman after track practice at Farmington High School. (4/29/09)

(4/29/09)

A Car-free Earth Day

nbphoto — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:29:33 +0000

Cruisin’ New Britain in a Velomobile.

Merrill Gay looks through the one side view mirrror on his home-built velomobile. (4/22/09)

Chris Richie | Staff

Merrill Gay is not an engineer or a scientist. As the executive director of the New Britain Discovery Collaborative, Gay, a resident of the city for the last 19 years, went to school for political science, and can best be described as a public service/community organizer. Merrill Gay is however a self admitted environmentalist and tinkerer.

Gay had always been an avid bicyclist, but as riding upright around town became less comfortable, he decided he wanted to ride recumbent and for it to be a tricycle for more stability. After searching for just the right model, Gay was dissuaded by the high prices of these niche vehicles, so he decided to build his own. After the months of drawing schematics, assembling the aluminum frame, and putting in the bike chain and wheels, Gay had his recumbent tricycle. With the addition of a corrugated plastic enclosure, the trike could now officially be called a velomobile.

Gay rides his velomobile for picking up groceries, to and from work, and he’s even ridden it up to the capitol building in Hartford. Two years ago Gay took part in a month long “Car Free Challenge.” The month long challenge he took part in underscores his commitment and ideals concerning environmentalism.

“When I was 16 or 17, one of the first things I got to drive to was a gas[station] line.”

This was during the early 70′s oil crisis, and it made an impression on Gay. ”The fact that I was standing in line told me there’s a limited supply of this stuff.”

Though saving the environment might be a noble cause, Gay is also keen on the workout he gets pedaling around town. “Our lifestyle – exercise is walking out the door and getting in the car to go to work.”

It was fitting then, that on Earth Day 2009, Merrill Gay could be found cruising the roads of New Britain, carbon free and getting some great exercise up the hills.

Merrill Gay rides his home-built recumbent tricycle velomobile, around New Britain on Earth Day. (4/22/09)

Merrill Gay with his home-built recumbent tricycle, velomobile's hood opened in his driveway in New Britain. Gay's blog address, where he posts his latest velomobile exploits, is prominantly displayed. (4/22/09)

Merrill Gay has an odometer/speedometer fixed inside his recumbent tricycle, velomobile. (4/22/09)

Merrill Gay at his home in New Britain, kneels by his next project, a tandem recumbent tricycle. When complete, the tandem tricycle will measure around 13 feet long and will not have a shell, making it less suseptable to side winds, therefore it will not be a velomobile. (4/22/09)

Merrill Gay rides his home-built recumbent tricycle, velomobile, around New Britain on Earth Day. (4/22/09)

WWI Comes to Terryville.

nbphoto — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:31:16 +0000

Artifacts of a forgotten, but important era.

World War I posters on display in the Terryville High School auditorium, as part of the National Tour of the World War I Memorial Exhibit. The traveling exhibit, consisting of pictures, uniforms and other artifacts, will begin a 50 State, 1,000 School National Tour across the country. (4/20/09)

Michael Gudeczauskas, a fourth grade Terryville student, writes down facts about Frank W. Buckles, the 108 year old, last surviving American veteran of World War I, from a portrait of Buckles in the Terryville High School auditorium. The portrait is part of the National Tour of the World War I Memorial Exhibit, a traveling show consisting of pictures, uniforms and other artifacts on a 50 State, 1,000 school, national tour across the country. Gudeczauskas was writing down information on Buckles because the fourth grader plans to write the veteran a letter. (4/20/09)

A gas mask is among the artifacts traveling with the National Tour of the World War I Memorial Exhibit, pictured in the Terryville High School auditorium. The traveling exhibit, consisting of pictures, uniforms and other artifacts, will begin a 50 State, 1,000 School National Tour across the country. (4/20/09)

A World War I era United States Army Uniform, on display in the Terryville High School auditorium, as part of the National Tour of the World War I Memorial Exhibit. The traveling exhibit, consisting of pictures, uniforms and other artifacts, will begin a 50 State, 1,000 School National Tour across the country. (4/20/09)

Wethersfield Baseball Win

nbphoto — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:17:08 +0000

The Eagles win in the rain.

Dillon Walsh runs to third, in the Wethersfield High School varsity baseball game against Southington. (4/20/09)

Wethersfield's Chris Thibeault pitches during the Eagles' 4-2 home win over Southington. (4/20/09)

Wethersfield's Dillon Walsh is congratulated by teammates after running home in the varsity baseball 4-2 home win over Southington. (4/20/09)\

Brandon Dillon gets a hit for the Eagles, in the 4-2 Wethersfield varsity baseball home win against Southington. (4/20/09)

Runner Colin Doody slides safely back to first, in the Wethersfield High School varsity game against Southington. (4/20/09)