A Conversation with Helen Higgins: Preservation Powerhouse - Tuesday, June 16 at Noon

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For Immediate Release
May 28, 2015
Contact: Chris Zaccaro
chris.zaccaro@cga.ct.gov
(860) 246-1553 ext. 116

With a history that goes back centuries, it’s not uncommon to stumble upon a historic district or building as you travel through Connecticut’s villages, towns and cities. Thanks to the efforts of preservation groups, those residing in or visiting Connecticut can admire the buildings and sites that were also enjoyed by those who came well before us, including Connecticut’s Old State House.

On Tuesday, June 16, Old State House visitors can join a conversation on why preserving our history, particularly our buildings, is so important. Helen Higgins, the retiring Executive Director of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, will join the Connecticut Network’s (CT-N) Diane Smith for a one-on-one interview as Connecticut’s Old State House hosts another engaging installment of Conversations at Noon.

During her years at the helm of the Trust, Higgins provided technical preservation assistance to communities, developed a wide-range of grant programs for saving and securing our past, and surveyed projects that recognized historic resources – including barns, industrial sites and locations associated with 20^th century artists and writers.  Higgins will discuss the Trust’s evolution into an important voice for Connecticut’s historic buildings, landscapes and communities, while also reflecting on her personal experiences after an impressive 18-year career of saving buildings comes to a close.

This program is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch and enjoy the conversation.

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Top Student Historians Honored at Connecticut History Day Contest: Students will represent CT at National Contest in June

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For Immediate Release
May 12, 2015
Contact: Chris Zaccaro
chris.zaccaro@cga.ct.gov
(860) 246-1553 ext. 116

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New Britain – Connecticut’s top student historians were honored on Saturday, May 9 at the Connecticut History Day Contest, which took place at Central Connecticut State University. Over 400 students competed in the annual contest, which determines who will make up the Connecticut Delegation at the National History Day Contest scheduled to take place at the University of Maryland in June.

This year students presented their projects, based on the 2015 History Day theme of Leadership and Legacy in History, in one of five categories – either as an individual or as a group. History Day categories include exhibits, papers, performances, websites and documentaries. To qualify for the Connecticut History Day Contest, students must have placed within the top three in their category at their Regional Contest. The six Regional Contests, which are based in Hartford, Torrington, Manchester, New Haven, Fairfield and Mansfield, took place throughout March.

Students who placed first or second in their respective categories at the State Contest have been invited to represent Connecticut at the National History Day Contest where over 2,500 students from across the United States will compete for prizes and scholarships. Nearly 30 special prizes, sponsored by various Connecticut groups and organizations, were awarded to students as well. The results of the 2015 Connecticut History Day Contest can be seen here. Each of the first place winners and their teachers received a free subscription to Connecticut Explored, the magazine of Connecticut History.

History Day teachers were also honored at the State Contest. The Patricia Behring Connecticut Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Sharon Wlodarczyk of Southbury (Junior Division) and Al Meadows of Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven (Senior Division). The History Channel Award was presented to Alice Warren, an educator at Fairfield Woods Middle School in Fairfield.

More than one hundred local historians, educators, museum professionals and history lovers served as judges at this year’s State Contest. The First Company of the Governor’s Foot Guard provided a rousing start to the Award Ceremony, where hundreds of students waited eagerly to hear the results from the day. State Historian Dr. Walter Woodward, new Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell and Stephen Armstrong of the State Department of Education assisted in congratulating all the students and presenting awards to the winners.

History Day in Connecticut is one of 56 affiliate programs of National History Day. It is led by Connecticut’s Old State House, with support from the Connecticut Historical Society, the Connecticut League of History Organizations and the ConnecticutHistory.org website. Major funding is provided by Connecticut Humanities.

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Conversations at Noon: Hartford Blooms: The Greening of a City - Tuesday, May 19

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For Immediate Release
May 6, 2015
Contact: Chris Zaccaro
chris.zaccaro@cga.ct.gov
(860) 246-1553 ext. 116

Hartford, CT - Spring finally arrives in Hartford on Tuesday, May 19 as Connecticut’s Old State House cultivates a conversation about how horticulture drives civic engagement. Former Executive Director of the Knox Parks Foundation Jack Hale will discuss the legacy of City Councilwoman Betty Knox , who believed in the connection between the two subjects, and how the Capital City’s greening movement of the 1970s impacted present day Hartford. For a quarter century Hale nurtured community and school gardening projects, including neighborhood tree planting and volunteer landscaping activities, which blossomed into a successful program providing hundreds of jobs to local young people.

After his talk Hale will be joined by Ron Pitz, the man presently carrying on the work of Councilwoman Knox, and Mike McGarry, the organizer of Hartford Blooms. The Connecticut Network’s (CT-N) Diane Smith will moderate the panel discussion, find out what’s next for the “green movement."

This program begins at Noon, is open to the public and free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch and join the conversation.

Located in Hartford, just a short walk from the Wadsworth Atheneum and Connecticut Science Center, Connecticut’s Old State House was the Constitution State’s original seat of government from 1796 to 1878 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960. For more information on admission prices, upcoming events and parking
discounts nearby, follow the Old State House on Facebook and Twitter or visit its
website at www.ctoldstatehouse.org. Conversations at Noon is taped in front of a live audience by the Connecticut Network and can be viewed On-Demand on
www.CT-N.com.

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