Connecticut
The first park in Connecticut is almost 200 years old. How to visit this spring
VIDEO: Groundbreaking at Uncas Leap Heritage Park
VIDEO: Groundbreaking at Uncas Leap Heritage Park
Matt Grahn, The Bulletin
As the snow begins to melt and the warmer weather of spring starts to creep in, many people will be heading back outdoors into nature, and for many, that means returning to a local public park.
Whether you prefer to enjoy the spring weather with a run, a bike ride, a picnic or a simple walk, Connecticut has plenty of public parks that make for a perfect spring day.
If you want to immerse yourself in history as well as nature, Connecticut also has plenty of historical parks, with the state’s first park, Bushnell Park, opening almost 200 years ago.
Here’s how to visit Connecticut’s oldest park this spring.
History of Bushnell Park
Located in front of Connecticut’s state capital, Bushnell Park was first established in 1861. However, the idea for the park was first suggested by Rev. Horace Bushnell, pastor of Hartford’s North Congregational Church and graduate of Yale University, in 1853.
According to the Bushnell Park Conservancy, Rev. Bushnell proposed the park for multiple reasons – to clean up the city, create a space where poor children could play and build a beautiful setting that would establish Hartford as the state capital over New Haven, which shared the title of capital with Hartford at the time.
While plenty of parks were popping up in the states in the 1800s, one of Rev. Bushnell’s ideas made this park proposal unique – the sourcing of the park through public funds.
A Hartford City Council meeting in October 1853 unanimously approved Rev. Bushnell’s idea, and in January 1854, Hartford citizens voted the idea through, making Hartford the first city to use public funds for the creation of a park.
After years of securing land and creating a design, Bushnell Park, then called City Park, was established in 1861 under a design by Swiss-born architect Jacob Weidenmann. The original park contained 157 varieties of trees and shrubs, graceful paths, the Park River and several bridges.
Over the years, Bushnell Park has gained many additions, including the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch, the Capitol building overlooking the park, the Corning Fountain, the Carousel and the Performance Pavilion. Due to flooding, the Park River was buried in an underground tunnel in the 1940s, resulting in the destruction of its bridges.
Today, Bushnell Park remains a scenic place to connect with the Hartford community and escape the business of city life.
How to visit Bushnell Park
Bushnell Park is open daily from dusk to dawn. For those driving to the park, 99 Trinity St. in Hartford is the best address to use in a GPS. Metered parking, which is free on weekends, is available around the park’s perimeter.
Bushnell also frequently hosts community events like yoga classes and movie nights, as well as free tours of the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch from May through October.
Connecticut
Beloved Waterfront Restaurant To Close, Owners Announce Unexpectedly: CT News
On the weekend, we present some of the top stories and headlines from all across Connecticut. You can also find your local Patch and catch up on those stories by clicking here.
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Connecticut
Women’s Basketball Game Notes Vs. Central Connecticut State University – Providence College Athletics
FRIARS SET TO HOST CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY ON MONDAY, NOV. 10 … Providence will host Central Connecticut in non-conference action on Monday, Nov. 10 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
SCOUTING CENTRAL CONNECTICUT… CCSU finished the 2024-25 season with an 11-19 overall record, including a 10-6 mark in the NEC (third place). Head Coach Kristin Caruso begins her first season at Central Connecticut and has a roster that features nine newcomers.
CCSU COMING OFF SEASON-OPENING LOSS… Central Connecticut enters the game with a 0-1 mark, having lost its season opener to Bryant, 71-50. The Blue Devils trailed by just one (46-45) heading into the final 10 minutes of play, but Bryant put the game out of reach with a 25-5 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter. Lucia Noin was the lone player in double figures for CCSU, with 18. Kayla Henry grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
FRIARS AND BLUE DEVILS ALL-TIME… Providence and Central Connecticut have met seven times during the history of the two programs. The Friars lead the all-times series, 5-2. The Blue Devils won the first two meetings between the two squads, both of which took place in the 70s. Providence has won each of the last five games vs. CCSU. The last meeting was on Dec. 10, 2022. The Friars claimed a 77-45 victory on that day in Alumni Hall.
ALL-TIME VS. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE leads series, 5-2
Date Site Score Record
2/27/78 New Britain, Conn. 56-58 (L) 0-1
1/18/79 Providence, R.I. 43-46 (L) 0-2
2/23/80 New Britain, Conn. 67-53 (W) 1-2
2/21/81 Providence, R.I. 75-54 (W) 2-2
2/20/82 New Britain, Conn. 69-56 (W) 3-2
12/8/07 Providence, R.I. 76-64 (W) 4-2
12/10/22 Providence, R.I. 77-45 (W) 5-2
PROVIDENCE DROPS SEASON OPENER TO HOWARD… The Friars were defeated by Howard, 68-56, in their season opener on Nov. 4 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. The Bison used a 9-2 run in the final 3:15 of the third quarter, including a three at the buzzer, to claim a 50-39 lead heading into the fourth. Howard extended its lead to as many as 18 with 2:20 left to put the game out of reach. Providence managed to get within 64-54 with an 8-0 run, but the deficit proved too large to overcome. Sabou Gueye led the Friars with 16 points and four steals. Payton Dunbar tallied 12 points, four assists and two rebounds. Howard out-scored Providence 26-12 in points off turnovers. The Friars committed 20 miscues in the game, compared to Howard’s 12 turnovers.
NEW LOOK FRIARS TAKE THE COURT IN 2025-26… The Friars have reloaded their roster for the 2025-26 season after losing 10 players to graduation (seven seniors and three graduate students). Junior Sophi Hall and sophomores Orlagh Gormley and Audrey Shields are the only returning players on the roster that have seen game action in a Friar uniform. The remainder of this year’s roster is made up of five transfer student-athletes, five true freshmen and one redshirt freshman.
FRIARS DEFEAT FRANKLIN PIERCE IN EXHIBITION GAME… The Friars hosted NCAA Division II Franklin Pierce in an exhibition game on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. The Friars claimed a decisive 71-38 victory, clamping down defensively in the second half to allow just 10 points over the final 20 minutes of play. Sabou Gueye and Payton Dunbar each scored 12 points to pace the offense. Teneisia Brown recorded seven points, four rebounds and a team-best five assists. Ashley Dinges tallied nine points and a team-best six rebounds and two blocked shots. Providence forced Franklin Pierce into committing 30 turnovers and held a 29-19 scoring advantage in points off turnovers in the game. The Friars also dominated the glass with a 40-26 edge in rebounding.
HOME-SWEET-HOME… The Friars will play eight of their 11 non-conference games in the friendly confines of Alumni Hall / Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I., including a five-game home-stand to start the season.
BROADCAST AND TV ASSIGNMENTS… As part of the BIG EAST’s television and broadcast deal, the Friars will be featured on a host of network platforms encompassing television and streaming during the 2025-26 season, including FS1, TNT, truTV, Peacock and ESPN+. Additionally, Providence’s games at the Emerald Coast Classic will be available on FloCollege and its non-conference match-up at South Carolina will be broadcast on the SEC Network. Each of the Friars’ home non-conference games will be broadcast live on ESPN+, in addition to 15 of the program’s 20 BIG EAST Conference regular-season games. Television and streaming designations for each game are available on the women’s basketball schedule via Friars.com.
FRIARS SET TO FACE PRESEASON NO. 1 AND NO. 2… The Associated Press recently released its top-25 rankings for the 2025-26 season and the Friars are slated to play No. 1-ranked Connecticut and No. 2-ranked South Carolina. Providence is one of five teams in NCAA Division I that will face the Huskies and Gamecocks this season, joining Louisville, USF, Tennessee and USC. Providence will face UConn, twice, as part of BIG EAST regular-season play on Dec. 31 and Feb. 22. The Friars will travel to Columbia, S.C. to face South Carolina in non-conference action on Dec. 28.
EMERALD COAST CLASSIC… Providence will participate in the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Fla. prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday on November 24-25. The Friars will face Middle Tennessee State in the first game of the tournament on Nov. 24. Providence will conclude the tournament on Nov. 25 against Mississippi State or Alcorn State. Under the direction of third-year Head Coach Erin Batth, the Friars have participated in the West Palm Beach Classic (2022-23) and the Cancun Challenge (2024-25).
BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL… The Friars were picked to finish 10th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, released at the league’s annual media day on Oct. 21 at Madison Square Garden. Last season, Providence completed the year with a 13-19 overall record and claimed a seventh-place finish in the regular-season standings with a 6-12 conference record.
ERIN BATTH ERA… Erin Batth enters her third season with the Friars in 2025-26. She was hired as the 11th women’s basketball coach in program history at Providence College on March 20, 2023. Batth arrived in Friartown with 17 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience, with her most recent stops coming at NC State (2018-22) and Michigan (2022-23). She has been part of five conference championships, eight NCAA Elite Eight appearances and three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. She also served as an assistant coach at Liberty (2017-18), Georgia State (2014-17), Tennessee Tech (2012-14) and Towson (2010-12). Batth earned her first career win as a head coach on Nov. 7 vs. Hampton (76-46). She helped the Friars earn a bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) in her first year at Providence in 2023-24.
WHAT’S NEXT… The Friars will continue their five-game home stand on Saturday, Nov. 15 against Boston College. The game will tip off at 1:00 p.m. at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Connecticut
Police ask for public’s help after deadly pedestrian crash in Newtown
Newtown police are asking for the public’s help and looking for a commercial vehicle that may have been in the area of a deadly pedestrian crash Thursday night.
The police department responded to Hawleyville Road near the exit 9 westbound off-ramp around 6:15 p.m.
Police are looking for anyone who may have seen a commercial vehicle parked on the side of the road in front of Papa Al’s shopping center.
“We appreciate everyone’s assistance by staying clear of the area until the investigation is complete,” police said in a statement.
Authorities said a person died in the crash, but their identity wasn’t immediately made available.
The road is closed until further notice, and the crash remains under investigation.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact police at 203-426-5841.
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