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Wesleyan: Proposed fine arts center a ‘resource not only for Middletown but for all of central’ CT

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Wesleyan: Proposed fine arts center a ‘resource not only for Middletown but for all of central’ CT


Wesleyan University is preparing to renovate a building just east of its main campus as a fine arts center, and hopes it will build stronger connections between its arts students and Middletown residents.

“We see this site as a really excellent place to invite the Middletown community in for our performances and our art exhibitions,” said Roger Michael Grant, dean of arts and humanities. “This we hope will be a resource not only for Middletown but for all of central Connecticut.”

Wesleyan wants to renovate and expand a roughly 12,000-square-foot building on Hamlin Street just south of College Street and turn it into the Wesleyan Integrative Arts Lab. The university also proposes to do away with a deteriorating and little-used parking lot on the site, and replace it partly with new green space.

The existing building on Hamlin Street just south of College Street in Middletown. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown)

In a presentation to Middletown’s planning and zoning commission last week, the university said the work would be an aesthetic improvement. The former Mohawk Manufacturing Co. building on the site is rundown and has several broken windows, while the pavement of the parking lot is cracked and broken.

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Joe Banks, Wesleyan University’s director of construction, said the university’s contractors plan to fully refurbish the roughly 12,000-square-foot building as a fine arts and performance center. They also will put on about 7,000 square feet of additional space.

Wesleyan University's rendition of what a remodeled, expanded building would look like. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown)
Wesleyan University’s rendition of what a remodeled, expanded building would look like. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown)

The work will improve conditions for students, faculty and staff, and also benefit the community, according to Wesleyan.

“We have about 3,000 students, about a third of them in some way focus on the arts,” Grant told commissioners. “The vast majority take at least one arts course before they graduate: That’s bucking national trends. We’re really an arts-focused and creative institution.”

A new arts center would serve those students by adding classroom, performance, exhibition and office space, Wesleyan said. But maybe its biggest value would be to the approximately 100 students a year who complete a senior thesis in the arts, school officials said.

Wesleyan's plan for its Integrative Arts Lab. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown)
Wesleyan’s plan for its Integrative Arts Lab. (Courtesy of Town of Middletown)

“The students need a space to get their hands dirty, to assemble their materials for rehearsals, to bring people together and try things out and experiment,” according to Grant.

Wesleyan built 11 arts buildings in 1973, but now needs more space, he said.

“That was the year that Wesleyan first admitted women, so our arts facilities were designed for a different time,” he said. “Our student population has more than doubled. We are currently over-spilling the capacity of these famous and fabulous buildings.”

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Grant also noted that the 1973 buildings were individually designed to serve students in a particular arts discipline.

“We don’t have a single building that brings together the different arts forms,” Grant said. “We find students are interested in working across artistic media to create something that’s distinctively their own. That’s exactly what we have in mind for the Wesleyan Integrative Arts Lab.”

The university told town planners that it would use the space for a drawing studio, design studio, faculty offices, room for visiting guest artists, and what it called “flexible interdisciplinary space” for performances and exhibitions.

During regular days in the school year, the building would mostly host classes, Grant said. On weekends there could be occasional showings and performances, and during the winter break and summer vacation the space could be a location for guest artists.

“We’re looking at this building situated halfway between our art campus and downtown as a really distinctive opportunity to bring together the Middletown community with Wesleyan faculty, staff and students,” Grant said. “It’s in a very special location to do that.”

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The commission could decide at its July 26 meeting whether to approve Wesleyan’s site plan application.



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Connecticut

Avelo Airlines announces end to West Coast operations

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Avelo Airlines announces end to West Coast operations


Avelo Airlines announced it is ending its service from Burbank, California.

The move means the carrier is shutting down its entire West Coast operations.

Avelo said it will move planes from Burbank to the East Coast

So how will this affect people flying out of Tweed-New Haven?

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Michelle Mingione, from Florida, said the airline has been good to her.

“I love it,” said Mingione. “I’m originally from this area. And so it’s really easy to fly in and out.

Avelo makes up the majority of flights from Tweed.

Courtney Goff, a communications manager with Avelo, said this will have no effect on Connecticut flyers.

“Avelo has previously made several changes over the past few years to our West Coast operations to improve our financial results. Despite the investment of significant time, resources, and efforts, our West Coast operations have not produced the results necessary to continue our presence there,” Goff said in a statement.

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The closure to the West Coast operations comes as the budget airline faces backlash after entering an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to fly deportation flights for ICE from Arizona.

A spokesperson for Tweed New Haven Airport said they began their expansion efforts back in 2021 and maintain they are one of the fastest-growing airports in the country.

“This growth has outperformed all initial expectations, and our carriers are continuing to invest and grow here at HVN,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Mayor Justin Elicker’s office said they are not aware of any impacts Avelo’s decision will have on New Haven.

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Connecticut Sun take on Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever at TD Garden in Boston

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Connecticut Sun take on Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever at TD Garden in Boston


BOSTON, MA. (WFSB) – The Connecticut Sun took on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at TD Garden in Boston Tuesday evening.

In a tightly contested game, the Fever would come home with the victory and deal the Sun yet another loss on their rough season so far.

However, it wasn’t all about what happened on the court.

Off the hardwood, fans showed up in droves to a block party that brought all ages together to ignite interest in not only the Sun, but also the WNBA.

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“They made a run toward the championship. I became a big fan. I bought season tickets this year we have a new team this year, but I love them and I’m here to support them,” said Julie Dick, Worcester, Massachusetts.

The court inside the arena was fancied up with all Connecticut Sun branding to market to the fan base and make the players more comfortable.

“Boston is a big Sports City, Playing at UConn I made some trips here, but I have to say this is the first time I’ve played in Boston,” said Sun Guard Bria Hartley.

However, the major success of the event might be too good for those worried about the rumors of possible relocation of the team.

“I wouldn’t like that, I’m from Connecticut. Boston can get it’s own team as far as I’m concerned. I’d like to see people back this professional League at home and we have one so lets keep it in Connecticut,” said Pat Grondin, Lebanon.

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“Us playing here was our own idea, playing in a big arena and increased exposure in the market,” said Jen Rizzotti, CT Sun President. “I know our owners are exploring options but for me, this is about the CT Sun and giving us the best experience and playing here in boston is part of that experience.”

It looks like there will be excitement or disappointment wherever the Sun wind up playing next season.

CT Sun host block party ahead of game at TD Garden



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CT travelers upset over being stuck in PA airport with ‘no answers’ from airline

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CT travelers upset over being stuck in PA airport with ‘no answers’ from airline


Passengers on an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Hartford are frustrated after they said they were stranded in the airport overnight, many for nearly 24 hours, with no answers from the airline.

Flight 3195 to Bradley International Airport was supposed to take off Saturday night, but never did.

“We got on the plane for about 45 minutes, and they told us that there were mechanical issues, and we probably would not be getting out of there tonight, to make other accommodations,” Nichole Delgreco of Meriden, said.

Delgreco, her parents and teenaged daughter were heading home from a family vacation to Jamaica. Their layover was in Philadelphia, and they hoped to be home Saturday night.

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Instead, they said they slept on the floor of the airport.

“If you looked in the airport, there were people scattered everywhere,” Delgreco said. “They said come back at 8 a.m., and you can be on the next flight. There was no next flight.”

Delgreco said she never got ahold of anyone from American Airlines, and no one contacted her. The family waited in the airport Sunday, but the flight continued to be delayed.

“They told us nothing at all. What they kept doing is just delaying the flight. The time would come where we were supposed to depart, and it would just get moved to another time. It probably happened six or seven times. Not one worker came over to accommodate us at all,” Delgreco said. “No water, not even a sorry.”

To make matters worse, their medications were inaccessible on the plane.

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“Me and my father both have heart conditions, and they both have diabetes. Their medications were on the carry-on bag that they were told to put on the plane,” she said. “[We] were unable to take their medication for over 24 hours.”

Keith Reynolds, of Old Saybrook, was in the same boat.

“I have agent orange [and] Parkinson’s, and a number of other issues from Vietnam,” he said. “By Sunday, I’m beginning to get nervous that I won’t be home to get my meds.”

He said he first heard from the airline on Sunday afternoon.

“One o’clock Sunday,” he recalled, “that was the first time that [an] American Airlines employee actually said, ‘Well, let me see if there’s any other way to get you home.’ Not one suggested anything or tried to rebook me or tried to do anything to help me.”

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Reynolds was booked on a flight to Providence and a friend picked him up.

The Delgrecos spent over $300 on a rental car and drove the four hours from Pennsylvania.

They’re frustrated by the ordeal, and hope the airline will make it right.

NBC Connecticut asked American Airlines for comment but have not heard back.

“I never expected a company as big as American Airlines to fall so flat on its face for so many people,” Reynolds said. “All 130-ish of us got off that plane at 12:30 at night to a closed airport, and not one person was there off that gate to guide us as to where to go next, what to do…nothing. That never changed the whole time I was there.”

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“They need to be held accountable for what they did,” Delgreco said. “It was unacceptable.”



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