A proposed “Complete Streets Ordinance” is on the agenda of the City of Middletown’s Public Works and Facilities Commission meeting on Wednesday, July 8, at 7 p.m. in Room 208 of the Municipal Building, 245 deKoven Drive in Middletown. The purpose of the ordinance is to help Middletown become a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly community by ensuring that the needs of all users – pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit users – will be considered in planning all future transportation improvements.
Middletown’s Complete Streets Committee, established in early 2012 by Mayor Drew and chaired by the Jonah Center, developed a Complete Streets Master Plan by early 2013. This master plan was incorporated into the City’s Plan of Conservation and Development in 2014. The master plan defines key streets, highways, school zones, and commercial areas where additional sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle lanes, and off-road trails would be most helpful in connecting various parts of the city for users of non-motorized transportation. The draft Complete Streets Ordinance under consideration will help our community seize every opportunity to make key bike-ped improvements while other infrastructure improvements are being planned.
A show of public support at the July 8 meeting will help ensure endorsement of this Complete Streets Ordinance by the Public Works and Facilities Commission, so that the ordinance can move on to the General Counsel Commission and eventually to the Common Council. Please plan to attend if you are able. For more information, contact John Hall at 860-398-3771 or send a message from our home page.

The Jonah Center’s River Paddle on Saturday, July 11, has unfortunately been cancelled.  In the meantime, we encourage you to use the new canoe and kayak launch at 181 Johnson Street, in Middletown. (See the post below for more details.)  If you wish to be on the Jonah News Email list to learn about future paddles and other events, you may sign up using the form on the left side of this page.

Sorry about this change of plans.  We’ll announce another paddle as soon as we are able to make plans.

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 Canoe and Kayak Launch on the Coginchaug River is now open for use.
The official ribbon-cutting by the Mayor will take place on Friday, June 5, at 3 p.m., to coincide with the end of the Macdonough School Canoe Trip led by the Jonah Center and our volunteers. Continue reading →

Wesleyan’s Center for the Arts and College of the Environment, in collaboration with the Jonah Center and many other organizations, invite the wider community to this eco-arts event in Harbor Park, Middletown, on May 9.

Music, exhibits, food, activities for children, boat rides, rowing instruction, environmental action tent, and more.

For a full list of activities, click here. 

The Complete Streets Group of Portland invites the public to an information sharing session on Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m., at the Waverly Center (formerly Senior Center). After a brief overview by Kathy Herron on the Complete Streets movement along with the group’s mission and goals, the public will be asked to share their thoughts on areas in town where it feels safe and pleasant to walk or bicycle, as well as dangerous intersections, high-speed traffic roads, school walking routes, etc. – that they would like to see become more pedestrian/bicyclist friendly. Continue reading →

This year, the Jonah Center will lead Macdonough Elementary School students and teachers on a canoe trip on the Coginchaug and Mattabesset Rivers, launching at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 5.  Canoes, paddlers, and financial sponsors are needed!  Continue reading →

“Sustainability by Number”

Thursday, 23 April, 4:30 p.m.
Exley Science Center Room 58

Through its exuberance, humankind has dug itself into an enormous hole, one that requires some quantification to try to grasp. Through numbers, we will examine the size of the hole and its rate of growth. Giant problems require giant solutions; we will explore the form these solutions might take — and the form they probably will not take.

“Stop Drilling Down!”

Tuesday, 28 April, 7 p.m.
Exley Science Center, Room 150

“Drilling down” is a metaphor for probing a question ever more deeply, learning more and more in the process. It’s what academics do, and it’s a good thing to do — right? Only if we also take the time to synthesize what we and others have learned in an attempt to grasp the whole picture. This talk is an attempt to do just that, examining the human situation from a physical perspective. Continue reading →

The City of Middletown’s Planning, Conservation and Development Department is seeking citizen volunteers to fill vacancies on two advisory panels. There are currently four vacancies on the Conservation Commission and five vacancies on the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency. Continue reading →

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 →