Connecticut

CT Open House Day is Saturday. Here’s what you can do

Published

7 months ago

June 7, 2024

Press Room

CT Open House Day is Saturday. Here’s what you can do

(WFSB) – Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of Connecticut Open House day.

To celebrate, places around the state planned to offer an array of attractions on June 8, 2024.

Here’s a few spots to check out, according to the state’s tourism website, ctvisit.com.

1796 Old Farm School, Bloomfield

Check out a schoolhouse built in 1796 and ring the belfry bell. Play children’s games from the 1800s & learn about a Bloomfield treasure.

The Old Farm School is located at 153 School St. at the corner of Park Avenue.

Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford

Learn about the history of this oldest-surviving English settlement site. There are family-friendly scavenger hunts and guided and drop-in tours.

Berlin Historical Society Museum, Kensington

The museum celebrates local history with creative displays that include stone artifacts left by indigenous people, the beginning of the tinware industry and the Yankee Peddler, Berlin Iron Bridge Company, Simeon North’s pistols, Olcott Cheney clocks, the brick industry, Prentice Zippers, American Paper Goods, the old Berlin Train Station, and The Leatherman. There’s also 19th century artwork and needlework. It is currently highlighting the Wide Awake lantern carried in Abe Lincoln’s campaign, and an award winning film on the black soldiers from Berlin who fought in the Civil War. The museum was added to the Freedom Trail back in May.

Bristol Historical Society, Bristol

A special exhibit honors Bristol’s schools and their history, including the opening of the principal’s office in Bristol’s first high school.

Burlington Elton Tavern and Center Schoolhouse, Burlington

The Burlington Historical Society is welcoming visitors for guided tours of the Elton Tavern and Center Schoolhouse, both of which are historic landmarks.

Center Church, Hartford

Volunteers from the 1636 Heritage Partnership open the 1807 Meeting House sanctuary for self-guided tours. Learn more about nearly 400 years of history and view stained glass windows surrounded by the architecture of the church

Collinsville Canoe & Kayak, Canton

10 percent off canoe, kayak, paddle board and bike rentals.

Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, Hartford

Free admission all day, for all ages, to the museum exhibitions and the Inspire Center.

Connecticut Science Center, Hartford

Everyone Pays Kids’ Price. People can go for full day of family fun. Experience 165 hands-on exhibits, including our brand new traveling exhibition, Science Fiction Science Future.

Connecticut Trolley Museum, East Windsor

Free admission for Connecticut residents.

Connecticut’s Old State House, Hartford

It’s Game Day at Connecticut’s Old State House. The plan is for fun historic games, new games, and games full of Connecticut history. Admission is free.

Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill

A 200-million-year-old fossil trackway, nature trails, arboretum, and interactive exhibits bring the Mesozoic era to life. Explore a paleontological museum and enjoy the outdoors, all in one trip. The park features over 750 early Jurassic dinosaur footprints – one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America – preserved in place inside the museum, alongside exhibits about dinosaurs, fossils, and Connecticut geology.

Galleries @ WORK_SPACE, Manchester

Visit the Galleries @ WORK_SPACE for the opening of “Cogs & Canvas: A Steampunk Art Extravaganza.” Located on Main Street in Manchester, we offer a vibrant showcase of creativity within a historic setting. Enjoy live music, create your own masterpiece at our interactive art station, and explore diverse artworks across our 3 galleries and shop. With ample free parking and nearby dining, it’s the perfect cultural outing in the heart of the downtown.

Happy’s Indoor Golf, Southington

Play golf in a judgement free facility.

Use the code OPENHOUSE24 to get 50 percent off a simulator rental when playing on June 8. The indoor golf simulators are typically $50/hour.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center will be participating in the open house day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum is offering free self-guided, first floor, walk-through tours of the historic Harriet Beecher Stowe House.

Additionally, it is hosting a lawn party for community to come and enjoy the green space.

Hartford Taste Festival, Hartford

Hartford Taste Festival is a celebration of the food, music, art and community. Admission is free! There are 33 restaurants, 29 musical acts, and numerous live artists on site for the two-day festival, which is free to the public on June 7-8 on Pratt and Trumbull Streets in downtown Hartford from 12 p.m.- 9 p.m.

Huguenot House Museum, East Hartford

Open between 1 p.m. and 4 pm. Visitors will receive a guided tour of the 1761 Makens Bemont House. They can also see the 1850 Burnham Blacksmith Shop and 1821 Goodwin Schoolhouse. Complimentary brochures are available and post cards and stationary will be half price

Hungerford Nature Center, Kensington

The Hungerford Nature Center provides science and environmental programs, birthday parties, special events, camps, interactive STEAM exhibits, a playground, a pond, 27 acres of forested habitat with walking trails and is home to a variety of domestic and wild animals.

Kellogg Eddy House Museum, Newington

Offering free tours of the Kellogg-Eddy House Museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Georgian Colonial home is located at 679 Willard Ave. in Newington. It features finely restored period rooms highlighting the history of the town. This house is the Town Museum and will be open free of charge on Open House Day.

Iwo Jima Memorial, New Britain

Free historical tours. The memorial is the only one built by survivors of the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford

11a.m. to 3 p.m. lawn party.

There will be dancing, music, sweet treats and hot dogs, free museum tours, lawn games, art activities, and more.

Museums on the Green: East Windsor Historical Society, East Windsor

The Museums on the Green is the home of the East Windsor Historical Society and offers six buildings, and several barns, to explore, including a schoolhouse, probate court, barber shop, and more.

New Britain Industrial Museum, New Britain

New Britain’s “Hardware City” collection: Hand and machine tools, kitchen & household appliances, builders hardware, 200+ years of innovation and manufacturing.

A special is being offered: Stanley Rule & Level 1880s repro. poster – One to family or group with admission.

New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain

Free Admission from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and one free coffee per visitor until 2:30 p.m.

New Britain Youth Museum, New Britain

The Youth Museum offers programs for children and families as well as hands on exhibits and play areas.

Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, West Hartford

On June 8 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., visit the Noah Webster House for free. The museum teachers will lead visitors through a tour of Webster’s East Garden to explore how herbs were used for flavoring food, making medicine, fragrances and insecticides. Create a lavender sachet to take home.

Nowashe Village and Wood Memorial Library & Museum, South Windsor

Celebrations will feature nature programming and take place in Wood Memorial Library, Nowashe Village, and Station 43 Wildlife Sanctuary. Enjoy bird walks, family friendly crafts and activities and learn about Connecticut’s varied environment and wildlife from local experts including a Master Wildlife Conservationist and a certified arborist. This event is free; however, donations are encouraged and appreciated. We hope to see you!

Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine, East Granby

Connecticut’s only underground experience offers visitors the opportunity to explore 300 years of history with modern relevance. Old New-Gate is recongnized as the Nation’s first chartered copper mine and first state prison. Today visitors can explore the prison ruins/exhibits and take a tour of the copper mine that once housed incarcerated people. Admission is free.

Pitkin Glass Works, Manchester

There’s an opportunity to visit the remains of the first glass factory in the state, and the only one in the northeast still standing.

Selden Brewer House 1828, East Hartford

Prominent tobacco farming family house at 265 Main St., East Hartford. Home moved from the banks of the CT river. First floor decorated to 1850s with original furnishings. Beautiful rose garden in full bloom. Tours given by Al Brewer, 10th generation Brewer family member. Free, but donations appreciated. Free pin given.

Stone Age Rock Gym, Manchester

Stone Age Rock Gym will be offering PWYC Day on June 8. “Pay what you can” allows anyone to check-out indoor rock climbing on their budget.

The American Clock & Watch Museum, Bristol

Enjoy free admission all day, and special activities for all ages. Listen to the ticking and chiming of the clocks, take part in one of the scavenger hunts, enjoy the sundial garden, and get an up-close look at what makes a clock tick with a repair person in the clock shop. Curious about a vintage watch you own? For a $10 fee, you can chat about it with Micah Tasker of The Vintage Watchman, who will be at the museum from 1:00-3:00. In addition to these activities, visitors will want to check out the two new exhibits – Seth Thomas: Clocks for Every Need and 70 Objects for 70 Years. These are just a few highlights that the museum has in store for this special statewide celebration.

The Bristol Bazaar LLC, Bristol

It will be offering a free Bristol Bazaar Tote Bag with purchase to the first 20 customers who mention celebrating the CT Open House Day.

The Carousel Museum, Bristol

Free Admission for everyone. Carousel rides for children are just $1 each!

The Simsbury Free Library, Simsbury

Join us for a day filled with connection, exploration, and history for Connecticut Open House Day! Families can delve into their roots with free family tree printables (while supplies last). Its genealogist will be here to guide visitors, sharing insights and unraveling mysteries of your ancestry. Guests can also tour the library, browse its eclectic furniture collection, and visit its Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. It also has several unpublished books chronicling Simsbury’s history and yearbooks brimming with nostalgia, waiting to be discovered.

Truck Day, Manchester

Connecticut Open House Day means it’s Truck Day at the Lutz Museum. Admission is free and the big trucks will be outside of the museum from 12 p,m, to 3 p.m.

Vintage Radio & Communications Museum, Windsor

Tour displays covering the full history of human communications from pre-electronics era through the 1980s. Displays include radio, TV, motion picture, telegraph, teletype, telephone all the way up to personal computers.

Wethersfield Museum at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, Wethersfield

Stop by the Wethersfield Museum at the Keeney Memorial.

Cultural Center (200 Main St.) to see Castle on the Cove: The CT State Prison in Wethersfield and Legendary People, Ordinary Lives. Wethersfield Historical Society’s Hurlbut-Dunham House (212 Main St.) and the Cove Warehouse will also be open for tours from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Refrigerator magnets featuring its historic sites will be offered as a free gift.

For other events around the state, check out ctvisit.com here.

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Connecticut

Want to donate to Los Angeles fire victims? Be aware of scams

Published

1 hour ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Want to donate to Los Angeles fire victims? Be aware of scams

CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — In Los Angeles, where fire has destroyed thousands of homes, officials say they don’t need any more items like blankets or clothing. What’s needed is money to help people try to get back on their feet.

Here in Connecticut, if you want to give there are some things you should know to avoid being scammed.

A warning from the Connecticut Better Business Bureau says that before you open your heart and your wallet, do your due diligence before you donate and verify which charities truly have a proven track record of helping.

One of the more common scams you may see is a direct message in your social media feed.

“So, an acquaintance on Facebook messages you and says my uncle was a victim of the fire in LA and I’m collecting money, and you’re asked to click to donate or send me some cash via Venmo, but what you don’t know if that FB page has been hacked,” Kristen Johnson of Connecticut Better Business Bureau said.

The best advice is to pick up the phone and call that Facebook friend and ask are you really collecting money for LA relief. And if you can, make sure the charity you give to is registered with the state of California.

“And another thing that happens and this isn’t a scam, but people who want to help they set up charities to help but they don’t have boots on the ground — they’re not established,” Johnson said.

In other words, avoid grass roots efforts even though their heart may be in the right place. Experts also say never send cash and only a use a credit card.

If a charity says 100% of your gift goes to the LA cause that’s a red flag. Why’s that?

“Because every charity has some overhead right even your credit card payment will come with a transaction fee,” Johnson said.

The Connecticut Better Business Bureau has certain charities that meet their criteria. Just go to give.org to see the list.

Watch the full story above.

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Connecticut

Central Connecticut State University remembers Jimmy Carter’s 1985 visit

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Central Connecticut State University remembers Jimmy Carter’s 1985 visit

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) — A few years after former President Jimmy Carter’s term ended, he made a trip to New Britain.

In 1985, about 3,000 people gathered at Central Connecticut State University’s Welte Hall to hear the former president deliver the annual Robert C. Vance Lecture.

This lecture series ran from 1983 to 2015 to honor the editor, publisher and journalist for The Herald in New Britain, Robert C. Vance.

In addition to giving a speech, Carter was also awarded the university’s first honorary degree.

The university’s archivist, Renata Vickery, said, “it was also important for our students to see someone who started from the very humble beginning.”

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Connecticut

Opinion: If the guardrails are unconstitutional, then what?

Published

21 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Opinion: If the guardrails are unconstitutional, then what?

This is the last of a six-part series on the constitutionality of the state’s “budget guardrails.” Here are Parts One, Two, Three, Four and Five.

If Connecticut’s budget guardrail statutes were determined to be unconstitutional, what are the implications for state budget policy? The following outcomes seem most likely and desirable:

1. The guardrails statute in Public Act 23-1 would revert to the status of ordinary legislation, amendable by majority votes and subject to gubernatorial veto.

2. The spending cap in the Connecticut Constitution, including the three-fifths vote “escape clause” and the three adopted definitions in state statute, would remain in force without alteration.

3. The three-fifths supermajority vote requirement in the guardrail statutes would be severable from the remainder of the statute.

4. Absent the severed supermajority vote provisions and the nullified bond covenant, the remainder of the fiscal statutes would continue to be implemented as currently done by the Office of Fiscal Analysis and the Office of Policy and Management, unless and until these statutes are amended.

5. The priority funding of the rainy day fund and prepayment of pension debt would continue under the status quo, unless and until amended by law.

6. The budget impacts of revising the guardrails will be determined by future actions of lawmakers. All the statutory caps in P.A. 23-1 could be amended by a majority vote except to the extent covered by the constitutional spending cap in article Third, Sec. 18c.

7. The General Assembly and governor would be expected to carefully project how their fiscal decisions going forward will impact Wall Street’s credit rating agencies.

8. The bond lock should be recognized as “null and void” by legislative repeal or by exercising the “escape clause” to avoid unintended consequences.

9. The State Treasurer should seek immediate legislation relieving him of the obligation to insert the bond lock covenant in future bond sales.

10. Assuming that there is at least some consensus of good faith acknowledgement of constitutional flaws in the statutory guardrails, the threshold question of whether any changes should be made will have been definitively answered, allowing everyone to move on. In response, House Speaker Matt Ritter, Senate President Martin Looney and Gov. Ned Lamont might convene an “all parties” negotiation to address post-guardrail changes to the FY 26-27 state budget and to hammer out new flexible fiscal policies to replace the old inflexible statutory guardrails.

The prospects for a successful negotiation seem high despite current bickering because there is ample political and policy consensus that some level of fiscal controls should remain in place. The CT Voices report and the Yale Tobin/Connecticut Project report both propose sensible fiscal revisions, but neither group advocate for eliminating fiscal controls all together. Governor Lamont in particular should take credit for the fact that “guardrails” of some type have now become a permanent part of Connecticut’s fiscal infrastructure because of his insistence.

The General Assembly should now approve what it neglected to do in 2017 or in 2023: adopt a “best practices” approach by establishing a new permanent Fiscal Commission of budget experts, stakeholders, and representatives of municipal, business and nonprofit leaders, to monitor on a regular basis the productivity, responsiveness and efficiency of ongoing fiscal policies. The Commission’s reports should contain fiscal analysis on the authoritative level of the OFA’s Fiscal Accountability Reports and recommendations on the data-driven policy level of the recent guardrail reports from the Yale Tobin Center and CT Voices for Children.

Consequences for bond purchasers

What might be the legal consequences for bondholders and the state if the bond lock covenant is unconstitutional?

Experienced bond counsel would need to be consulted about extracting the state from these entanglements. The following assurances could minimize if not eliminate any serious risk to the state from a bondholder lawsuit.

First, bondholder investments are sufficiently protected under the conventional bond covenant from the State of Connecticut to pay principal and interest on the bonds, guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the state. The primary security pledge received by the bondholders has not been impaired.

Second, bondholders will still receive extra protection from the risks of the normal state budgeting cycle by the constitutional spending cap which exempts in article Third, Sec. 18b “expenditures for the payment of bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness” from the cap.

Third, the exercise of a public entity’s sovereignty in limited circumstances has been upheld by courts as a defense or justification for post-sale changes to bond covenants. A well-known example excused a municipality’s non-performance with its pledge to dedicate casino revenues to pay bondholder debt service after the city’s approval of construction of a new casino was rejected by a voter referendum. A finding of unconstitutionality would leave the debt service obligation intact even if the bond lock were nullified.

Fourth and most importantly, the General Assembly was never constitutionally authorized under the “anti-delegation legislative rule” to issue the bond lock covenant in the first place. There is no “breach” for damages if the covenant was void from the start and there is no claim for “damage” if the debt service is paid.

Fifth, future assessments by Wall Street’s credit rating agencies will largely depend on the budget policies adopted in the post-guardrail period. No other state has adopted a bond lock covenant. Wall Street has welcomed Connecticut’s fiscal results but has not been clamoring for other states to replicate the bond lock.

Sixth, a final option for the state to extricate itself from the any bond covenant contract disputes without even the appearance of a technical default is for the General Assembly and the governor to exercise the bond covenant’s procedural “escape clause” for each of the remaining fiscal years on the 2024-2028 covenants and not to renew the covenants in 2029 for the optional second five years.

Conclusion and a note of judicial caution

In this series of opinion essays I have presented a “big picture” analysis of the unconstitutionality of the budget guardrails to stimulate the kind of legal research and discussion that regrettably has been avoided since 2017. As an obvious caveat, these essays were never intended to take the place of a legal brief.

Asking a Connecticut court to declare a state statute unconstitutional can be a daunting task. A 1986 court ruling stated: “It is well settled that a party who challenges a statute on constitutional grounds has no easy burden, for every intendment will be made in favor of constitutionality, and invalidity must be established beyond a reasonable doubt.”

That is why, in the end, it is my hope is that without formal judicial intervention the General Assembly and the governor will find either in these essays or in a legal opinion from the Attorney General or in an advisory opinion from the Legislative Commissioner’s Office enough of a persuasive legal rationale to conclude that the Connecticut Constitution requires a different process to adopt future state budgets, unencumbered by questionable statutory budget guardrails that may be out of date or out of order.

Seeking to have the guardrails recognized as unconstitutional is a weighty matter not to be undertaken frivolously. But continuing to adopt state budgets outside of the bedrock rules enshrined in the state constitution also carries serious risks and is likely to cause damage to trust in government and lead to more factional disunity.

Although the guardrails deserve their share of recognition for addressing the depleted rainy day fund and advancing payments of pension debt, let’s not forget that fiscal performance improved in every state between 2021 and 2023. During that period, 48 states cut taxes, and many built up their rainy day funds. Only Connecticut imposed a bond lock.

Connecticut does not need to choose between respecting its Constitution and enacting fiscally responsible budgets. It can and should do both. The statutes, guardrails and budgets reviewed in this opinion series are important elements of governing, but in the end the most precious commitment that all state elected officials make is the oath they take to “support” the Connecticut Constitution.

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