Episode Information
Winter 2008
Aired:
12/28/2008
Hello!
Diane Smith here with a few thoughts about this edition of Positively Connecticut.
This episode aired Saturday, December 27 at 6:30 p.m. only on CPTV.
| We Love a Parade Stamford, CT |
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As a child growing up in NYC I attended many Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades. While my grandmother was cooking the turkey my grandfather and my dad would herd my siblings, cousins and me onto the subway for the ride into Manhattan, where we would watch the parade in the comfort of my grandfather’s office at General Motors’ building on 57th Street and Broadway. From the 9th floor we were at eye level with the giant helium balloons. I’ve longed to recapture that excitement, and recently I did, as a balloon handler in the UBS Stamford Helium Balloon parade. This extravaganza fills the streets of the city with two dozen giant balloons, marching bands and floats. What a thrill to be tethered to Miss Piggy – always my favorite Muppet. |
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| Ancient Stories, Modern Times | |
| It’s winter, and after the holidays are over how about curling up on the sofa with a good book? The Hour I First Believed is Wally Lamb’s first novel in ten years. It is a great read, especially for those of us in Connecticut. See how many of the references you catch, especially in the novel’s setting of Three Rivers, an amalgam of Norwich, New London, and Willimantic. Our interview with Wally was so interesting; we thought you’d enjoy seeing all of it. |
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For more about Wally Lamb’s books check out: |
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| We shot the interview at the Slater Museum on the campus of Norwich Free Academy where Wally taught English for 25 years. The museum is well worth a visit. You’ll find paintings, decorative arts and crafts, but my favorite is the extensive plaster cast collection of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Renaissance sculpture. www.norwichfreeacademy.com/museum |
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| Crafting Carboard | ||
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I met artist Jimmy Grashow last year at the CT Association of Schools high school arts awards dinner. He mesmerized the audience by building a sculpture from boxes and pieces of cardboard while we watched. That piece eventually became Mark Twain, as seen in our segment. |
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| My Little Chickadee | ||
| Ornithologist Gordon Loery researches chickadees and other birds at the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield. The one hundred year old White Memorial Foundation is Connecticut's largest wildlife sanctuary. With four thousand acres, thirty five miles of hiking trails, camping facilities and the gem like White Memorial Conservation Center and Nature Museum at its epicenter, there is something for everyone. Bike riding, horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing are only some of the activities you can enjoy during your visit. Education, conservation and research are the guiding principles of the organization. Upcoming Winter Events include: Winter Tracking Club with Primitive Skills Specialist, Andy Dobos on January 3, February 7, and March 7 The CT DEP Department of Fisheries CARE program sponsors a Family Ice Fishing Workshop on January 17. Stalk Owls on an Owl Prowl with Dave Tripp and Fran Zygmont on January 17. Brookview Sugarhouse of Morris teaches you about the nuances of maple sugaring on January 24 while Jon Wallace introduces you to the Aurora Borealis on January 31. Wildlife Biologist, Dave Rosgen leads a bird walk in search of Winter Birds and Early Spring Migrants on March 7. All programs are free to the public. Please call 860-567-0857 for more information or visit www.whitememorialcc.org |
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| Woman of Innovation | |
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| Each year the CT Technology Council honors women in science and technology. I’ve had the chance to meet many of them at the annual awards dinner. This year we’ve featured one of them in each Positively Connecticut episode. Suzy DeGarmo blows up helicopters at Sikorsky to make them safer for our troops at war. DeCarol Davis graduated at the top of her class at the US Coast Guard academy. Dr. Liisa Kuhn is pioneering stem cell research at the UConn medical center, and Dr. Tracy Romano is studying the stress on beluga whales living in Alaska, comparing them with the belugas that live at the Mystic Aquarium. For more on Tracy visit: http://www.mysticaquarium.org/ For more on Women of Innovation go to: www.ct.org The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History in New Haven is more than great place to see dinosaurs. Their new exhibit showcases one of the country’s most historic collections of rocks and minerals. www.peabody.yale.edu |
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| Hope you enjoyed this season of Positively Connecticut programs. I’ll look for you in 2009 when we start our tenth year on CPTV. Best wishes, Diane Smith |
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