The Jonah Center of Earth and Art is pleased to sponsor the return of Middletown’s Cash Lane Slim in an exclusive one-night performance. Doors will open at 6:30 PM, and the 2- hour show will begin at 7 PM on Saturday, March 21st in the main hall of the Community Health Center, 675 Main Street in Middletown, CT.

Songsmith and guitar master Cash Lane Slim takes you on a trip through the heart of Americana with a blend of folk, rock, blues and ballad; an energizing mix of originals and standards with his unique interpretation and voice. Continue reading →

A Workshop on Home Insulation: How to prevent winter ice dams, incentive programs for home insulation and air sealing. These programs (Home Energy Solutions and Home Performance With Energy Star) provide a wide array of subsidized home energy improvements and attractive financing opportunities.  For more details, click here.

Wed. April 22, 7 p.m. at the deKoven House, 27 Washington St. Middletown.

Co-sponsored by Middletown’s Clean Energy Task Force and the Jonah Center.

For more information, call 860-638-4854 or 860-398-3771 (mobile).

A Presentation by Dana Royer
Professor of Earth and Environmental Science, Wesleyan University

Tuesday, March 10, 2014, 7 – 8:30 p.m. (snow date March 24)
At The deKoven House, 27 Washington Street, Middletown

You may know something about the human history of Middletown, but what about our region’s geologic history? Our city and its surrounding towns have a very interesting tale to tell, one that spans several hundred million years. Professor Dana Royer will tell us about one waypoint along this journey: 200 million years ago. Continue reading →

A new video is now available on the Home Energy Solutions℠ program, an EnergizeCT service that provides utility-authorized contractors to perform an energy checkup on your home and make on-the-spot improvements. The video highlights the aspects of the assessment, from start to finish.
Valued at $1,000, a Home Energy Solutions assessment is provided for a $99 fee, or at no cost for income eligible residents. Click Here to View the Video.

To schedule a Home Energy Solutions visit, call  New England Conservation Services at 1-877-389-7077 and tell them you were referred by the Jonah Center.

Continue reading →

Here are the summary  2014 scores for legislators in our area. (100% is the top score)

Sen. Dante Bartolomeo 100%  (Meriden and Middletown)

Sen. Paul Doyle 100%  (Middletown and Cromwell)

Rep. Matt Lesser 100%  (Middletown, Durham, Middlefield)

Rep. Phil Miller 94%  (Haddam, Essex)

Rep. Christie Carpino 80%  (Cromwell, Portland)

Rep. Joe Serra  78%  (Middletown)

Sen. Art Linares  73%  (East Hampton, Essex, Shoreline)

Rep. Melissa Ziobron 65%  (East Hampton, East Haddam) Continue reading →

On February 3, Middletown’s Common Council voted to appropriate $50,600 to pay for the City’s share of the engineering work to design the multi-use path from Wesleyan Hills (or, more specifically, the intersection of Randolph Rd. and Long Hill Rd.) to the intersection of Cross St. and Vine St. on the Wesleyan University campus. Continue reading →

Wesleyan’s College of the Environment invites the public to an exciting talk about the  impact of lawn chemicals and other pollutants on the endocrine systems of frogs — with obvious implications for humans. Thurs. Feb. 5, at noon.  Lunch provided at no charge  for all who attend. (Woodhead lounge is on 1st floor of Exley Science Bldg.)  RSVP to Valerie Marinelli, whose contact info can be found on the flyer here.  Sex, Drugs, & Suburbia

After a stressful few weeks and some bewilderment, the “Questions for Directors” session of Middletown’s Common Council revealed what had gone wrong when the position of “Planner and Environmental Specialist” was de-funded last May, after the search process began but before the hiring of Michelle Ford to fill the position in November 2014. Continue reading →

The Jonah Center’s earliest and longest-lasting project has born fruit. After 9 years of planning, proposal writing, grant writing, negotiations with City officials, set-backs, objections, more site-seeking, and much waiting, the Phil Salafia Boat Launch on the Coginchaug River is now finished. At least, the critical part — the ramp — has been constructed. It is made of interlocking cement pavers, held together with steel cables, and laid on 18″ of gravel. Even at the current extremely low water level, the ramp extends well into the water to form a solid bottom for people launching their boats. We anticipate a ribbon-cutting ceremony to be announced soon by the Mayor. Continue reading →

After many years of uphill struggle, construction of the boat launch on the Coginchaug River adjacent to the City’s recycling center is complete.

The Jonah Center wants to thank the members of CRAG (Coginchaug River Access Group); Joe Samolis, Chief of Staff for Mayor Dan Drew; Bill Russo, Director of Public Works; and Michiel Wackers, Director of Planning, Conservation, and Development for the critical roles they each played. Pat Munger Construction Company in Branford was the contractor.

The most critical part of the launch, the paved ramp leading into the water, was completed in the fall of 2014.  Other amenities such as information kiosk, paved turnaround, and solar lighting, will have to wait until more funds become available.

To use GPS navigation to locate the launch site, enter 181 Johnson Street, Middletown CT.