On Wednesday morning, a group of about 15 Middletown residents and students gathered on a vacant lot near the intersection of Washington and Pearl, raking leaves, picking up trash, and replanting what was once a community garden. In addition to being the target of such rogue agriculturists, this lot was recently chosen by a large developer to be part of a new strip mall complex that would span most of the block, requiring the demolition of neighboring homes.

On our family walk last night, I took this photo on Main Street between William Street and the South Green. It looks like the battle between the trees and the sidewalk has finally come to an end. Although it doesn’t much surprise me, I was sad to see that the trees lost. For more on
[continue reading...]

Middletown’s Environmental Collective Impact Network (ECoin) reached its first goal, resulting in a positive, measurable outcome for the environment. The group facilitated the retrofit of exit light signs, which replaced incandescent 40-watt bulbs with high efficiency 4-watt LEDs. The initial goal was to facilitate 50 retrofits, and ultimately 86 were done. Once the original goal
[continue reading...]

Upcoming work to complete the final paving on the two main spans and the installation of pavement markings will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting Tuesday, September 4, weather permitting, and will be completed by September 15, at which time traffic will be restored to its original four lane configuration.

MIDDLETOWN — Residents say it took the town water and sewer department weeks to address a sewage leak at the end of West Silver Street. The department fixed the leak Tuesday and Wednesday, but residents said they had been complaining for weeks about the foul odor. For more on this story, visit: A sewage leak
[continue reading...]

The common council will vote Monday on sending the cost to build a pipeline connecting the city to the Mattabassett District Sewage Treatment Plant — $37 million — to referendum in November. The proposed project includes building a new pump station off East Main Street in Middletown, building a pipeline along Route 9 connecting to
[continue reading...]

The shoreline’s public bus system, 9 Town Transit, once again saw tremendous growth in bus ridership during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, with passenger trips up 29% over the prior year. 9 Town Transit Executive Director Joseph Comerford contributes the growth to expanded service hours and improved awareness of the service.

A husband-and-wife team connects small farms like Bitta-Blue Farm and Thankful Circle Farm in Killingworth with families who want to eat organic, healthy produce and support local agriculture. When Karen and Kedhar Thiruvalam were visiting friends in Vegas in October 2011, they saw a large cooler on the steps outside their host’s front door. Nestled
[continue reading...]

Five Wesleyan University students are organically tending 1.33 acres of farmland in Middletown this summer, sharing their bounty with the local food pantry and farmers markets. Long Lane Farm seems a long way from the postcard campus of Wesleyan University. But there, on the outskirts of the university proper, lies 1.33 acres of bucolic farmland
[continue reading...]

Attorney General George Jepsen and Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Daniel C. Esty have taken action to block a commercial car wash in Old Saybrook from discharging wastewater in violation of its permit and state environmental laws, a press release issued by the state says. via Connecticut takes action to block alleged discharge of wastewater
[continue reading...]

The common council has approved a plan to borrow $3 million to pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for environmental cleanup at the OMO Manufacturing site on Walnut Street. The former factory building and city landfill near the Connecticut River is contaminated with lead, arsenic and PCBs. For more on this story, visit: The Middletown
[continue reading...]

Local solar company Greenskies Renewable Energy has offered the city a low 20-year fixed energy price in exchange for the use of city land on which to build three solar panel systems, at no cost to the city. The Hartford Courant reports.

Voters approved spending $13.2 million to join the Mattabassett District by a 2-1 margin in the Nov. 8 election, and the district’s chairman said his board can vote to include the city once the payment is received. District Chairman William Candelori said the strong voter approval shows support for a plan that is the most
[continue reading...]

On Sunday, November 6, Dr. Peter LeTourneau of Wesleyan University captivated a full audience at the Masonic Lodge in North Haven. A noted geologist, LeTourneau spun a web of tales that told the geological, historical, and artistic views of the traprock ridges from the shoreline of Connecticut into the hills of Massachusetts. For more on
[continue reading...]

The generator powering the Middletown sewer plant has stopped working, officials said Tuesday. The sewer plant has been without power since the weekend storm and was running of a generator, which shut down Tuesday morning, Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said. It’s a heavy-duty generator, he said, and “you can’t just go down to Home Depot to
[continue reading...]

Award winning and nationally acclaimed science writer Richard Conniff will focus on the fascinating, colorful story of how species get discovered– and why it’s still such an import human endeavor. Richard’s talk will be based on his most current book, The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth.

As part of a new state bill passed by the state legislature and awaiting the signature of Gov. Dannel Malloy, Middletown will become a full member of the district joining New Britain, Cromwell and Berlin who already have full membership.

Just in time for Connecticut Trails Day on Saturday, CL&P and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association have teamed up to open a new hiking trail in Middletown. The Scoville Loop, located off River Road, was built on land owned by the CL&P. As part of Trails Day on Saturday, CL&P and CFPA will host
[continue reading...]

The plan to remediate the complex, available on the department’s site, calls for a series of steps, including removing storage tanks, contaminated soil and asbestos. The project will begin May 15 and is scheduled to conclude precisely six months later.

Philip Armetta told the council a waste recycling facility in town would bring in $10 million annually.