Connecticut
Science Center Debuts Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut Exhibit » CBIA
A new Connecticut Science Center exhibit celebrates the success of the CBIA Foundation’s Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut challenge.
The inaugural competition celebrated the state’s rich manufacturing legacy and its world-class workforce.
Featuring 16 Connecticut-made products, the single-elimination, bracket-style competition allowed residents to vote on their favorite product.
After more than 115,000 votes were cast from August to October, General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Virginia-Class Submarine was announced as the first-ever Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut at the 2024 Manufacturing Summit.
Inspiring Innovations
All 16 finalists are featured in the new display in the center’s Invention Dimension gallery.
“The Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut competition was a way to showcase the incredible quality and variety of manufacturing in Connecticut,” said CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima.
“It’s great to have that positive energy around such an important industry for the state and this exhibit is the perfect way to keep that momentum going.
“We hope these 16 products on display can help inspire a new generation to create the future of Connecticut’s economy.”
“The Connecticut Science Center is thrilled to present an exhibit showcasing the exceptional products featured in the Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut competition,” said Connecticut Science Center president and CEO Matt Fleury.
“This special exhibit celebrates Connecticut’s rich manufacturing legacy and highlights the ingenuity, creativity, and excellence that drive our state’s industries.
“We hope to inspire our visitors with these remarkable innovations, crafted right here in Connecticut, and spark the imaginations of the next generation of makers and innovators.”
‘Collaborative Spirit’
The Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut was made possible through the generous support of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, CONNSTEP, and the Connecticut Office of Manufacturing.
“Thank you to the Connecticut Science Center for highlighting the Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut,” said Connecticut chief manufacturing officer Paul Lavoie.
“We are proud of our long history of making the coolest and most sophisticated products known to humans in Connecticut.
“It is great to see that thousands of visitors will know that Connecticut is really cool!”
“The collaborative spirit of Connecticut’s manufacturing community is evident in these remarkable products,” said CONNSTEP president and CEO Beatriz Gutierrez.
“It’s an honor to see them celebrated at the Science Center, where they will spark curiosity and encourage future innovation.”
The Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut exhibit will be on display at the Connecticut Science Center through March 31, 2025.
Nominations are now open for next year’s Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut challenge.
LYME — A body was recovered from the Connecticut River on Saturday, according to officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
At about 1 p.m., a vessel on the river reported seeing a body in the area of the Chester-Lyme Ferry, DEEP said.
The Environmental Conservation Police, along with the Connecticut State Police Major Crimes Unit and Lyme and Cheshire fire departments, responded to the area and recovered the body, DEEP said. The body has been sent to the state chief medical examiner, DEEP said.
Bill Flood, a media relations manager for DEEP, said the body was identified as a male and appeared to have been in the water for an extended period of time.
The medical examiner will determine the manner of death and EnCon is investigating, Flood said, noting there is no believed threat to the public.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Even as a born-and-raised New Yorker, I have a relatively open mind when it comes to pizza. When I’m out on the road, I’ll eat at any pizzeria as long as I can see the oven from the counter and buy pizza by the slice. However, the idea of any place outside the Big Apple proclaiming itself “the Pizza Capital of the United States” is just sacrilege. Connecticut doubled down on its ludicrous claim last weekend by approving the rollout of a special “Pizza State” license plate. This is the worst affront to the craft since Chicagoans started shilling their crust-bowl casserole as pizza.
Connecticut Foodshare
Let’s actually take a look at this license plate. One peek, we all know the rules. “The Pizza State” plate features a similar blue-to-white gradient as on the standard Connecticut license plate. The aforementioned self-proclaimed moniker replaces the state’s official nickname, “The Constitution State,” beneath the plate number. To the right of the number is an image of a pizza slice ripped straight from Microsoft’s ClipArt library. It’s a flat image that looks nothing like what’s served in New Haven. Connecticut drivers will be able to pick up a “Pizza State” plate for $65.
This is a pizza war for good
The only undisputedly good aspect of the “Pizza State” license plate is that its introduction will help feed Connecticut’s hungry. According to CT Insider, the $28.6 billion budget bill approved by the Connecticut General Assembly last weekend, which authorized the plate, also directly appropriated funding to Connecticut Foodshare. The sitewide food bank will also receive $50 from each $65 license plate fee, as it continues to provide millions of free meals to food-insecure people.
Back to the pizza debate at the heart of the matter. Governor Ned Lamont declared Connecticut the country’s pizza capital back in 2024 as part of a marketing campaign to promote the state. That declaration could have grounds for war in a different century, but individual states apparently don’t fight wars against each other anymore. Connecticut had better go back to being a UConn Husky-obsessed suburb before New York makes Greenwich the next Toledo.
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