The Jonah Center’s campaign to add at least $50,000 to the City of Middletown’s tree planting budget has been successful. The new budget amount for tree planting is $58,500.
We wish to thank Mayor Ben Florsheim, Majority Leader Gene Nocera, Minority Leader Phil Pessina, and all members of the Common Council who supported this increase. We are delighted that Middletown’s elected leaders recognize the importance of reversing the loss of approximately 100 trees each year.
This successful campaign is proof that citizens can make a difference if we are organized and act in unison. Many thanks and congratulations to all who wrote letters to the Mayor and Common Council. “Replace Our Trees” was a joint effort by the Jonah Center and the Urban Forestry Commission of Middletown.
The Middletown Garden Club has begun its eighth season of gardening on the rooftop of the Community Health Center. For the past seven years, our partner has been MARC, but Covid-19 has put that relationship on hold indefinitely. With approximately 500 square feet of irrigated raised beds, the rooftop garden has been highly productive. The carefully engineered soil and water-recapture system work to make the beds ideal for vegetable and root crops. Each year, we “open up” the gardens by removing any weeds that may have germinated over the winter, and begin to plan a new lay-out for the crops. We rotate plant locations to avoid any possibility of disease build-up in beds, especially where tomatoes are grown. 
While the project to repair and replace the approach ramps and sidewalks of the Arrigoni Bridge is underway, controversy about the work continues to swirl. Apparently, CT DOT’s original plan was approved by the previous Middletown administration with no public hearing or citizen comment. The stated goal of the project, according to CT DOT, was to improve the efficiency of Main Street between Washington and Hartford Ave. and the entrances to Route 9 and the Arrigoni Bridge. DOT’s interest in reducing congestion in this area is probably related to future plans to remove traffic signals from Route 9, which will involve some changed traffic patterns in the downtown area, especially near the bridge. Here are some of the issues and concerns surrounding the project. 
