Zoraida Lopez Photography Exhibit, 2pm Sunday, 9/20

Photo by Zoraida Lopez

New friend of the blog, photographer & Yoga instructor Zoraida Lopez will be having a photography exhibit Sunday, September 20, at Alchemy Cafe 2:00pm - 5:00pm. Alchemy Cafe is located at 197 New Britain Ave, Hartford, CT. Check out the Facebook invite for more photos & artist statement.
Artist Statement:

During the winter/spring of 2002, I was fortunate enough to study photography in Trinidad during Carnival. The photographs in this exhibit document my experiences. As the images of other photographers have inspired me to explore the world, I hope my own contributions will inspire others to do the same. [...]
Through my photography I seek to document my own personal experiences, to capture scenes and events as I see them and to share with others the beauty and diversity of the world I've seen.

Nighttime Bike Ride: So Nice

When one devotes significant portions of one's day to working, driving, cooking, cleaning, snot-wiping, and the other requisites of responsible parenthood, there is a lot to be said for an evening-time ramble on a bicycle. Luckily, on Tuesday night my buddy Ken wanted to "kiss the river," as he likes to say, so he led us on a zig-zag from his place off Farmington, through the Trinity campus, and eventually to the river, where we sat and talked for a spell. It was hardly a marathon (or its cycling equivalent), but it did wonders for my disposition.


The monument to Puerto Rican families, lately somewhat maligned, has apparently skirted controversy by honoring la familia boricua with a nice clean piece of plywood.


From the path between I-91 and the river, downtown Hartford looks like, well, the sort of place that would benefit from a tripod if it is to be photographed at night.


There's my boy Kenny, looking thoroughly noirish in the low light.

Small piece of legal information for Bicyclists in CT

Ryan at Shifting Gears - Bass | Bike | Blog, having recently moved to Hartford from Pittsburgh, had asked about what CT's law on bicycle riding was. Thankfully, last year El Presidente de China (& I linked to it then) had an incident with a 'legal auto scholar' that inspired him to post the actual law, Connecticut General Statutes Section 14-286a,

Every person riding a bicycle, as defined by section 14-286, upon the traveled portion of a highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of any vehicle subject to the requirements of the statutes relating to motor vehicles

Thanks, El Presidente! Having just had a few neighborly encounters with motorists who were very considerate to me, I'd like to think that we can all share the road.

PHH: live like a loner, fight like a professional. And love like there's no tomorrow.

Life sure has a sick sense of humor, doesn't it? We had the best of both worlds with Dalton Bodhi, a dirty dancing surfer who was the best bouncer around. But we lost him to the great bar fight in the sky, his medicare not able to support him so he had to fight his way through the death panels. Now, the dancing is over, and it's about to get dirty. We need a few good bouncers to handle the mob.

PHH is looking for a few good bouncers to help us handle the powerdrunk binges of the town halls. People have been coming to the town halls & great malls thinking they're at your local slaughterhouses. People who want to have a good time won't come to a town hall meeting, and we've got entirely too many troublemakers here...Too many uhh, 60 year old adolescents, gun-toting misspelling, power drinkers, and trustees of medicare... It's going to change. "Yeah, that sure sounds great... but a lot of the guys who come in here we can't handle one-on-one, even two-on-one," you've been telling us. Don't worry about it; all you have to do is follow 3 simple rules: One, never underestimate your opponent... expect the unexpected; Two, take it outside, never start anything inside the bar or hall unless it's absolutely necessary; and Three...be nice. If somebody gets in your face and calls you a socialist sucker, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk, be nice, if he won't walk, walk him, but be nice, If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you and you will both be nice...I want you to remember, that it's the job, it's nothing personal. Being called a 'socialist sucker' isn't personal? No, it's two nouns combined to elicit a prescribed response. "What if somebody calls my Mama a librul?" Is she? I want you to be nice... until it's time... to not be nice. I'll let you know...You are the bouncers I am the Cooler; All you have to do is watch my back and each others....and take out the trash!

We only want the best bouncer in the business. Your nights will be filled with fast action, hot music and beautiful women. It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.

Apply tonight at Progressive Happy Hour @ Red Rock Tavern Slaughterhouse, 365 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. 9:30pm. This is your wake up call; You can do what you want, and make up your own rules. Why be a servant to the law, when you can be it's master?

We're also looking for some good dancers.

-Helder, only living to get radical.

FREE Hartford! (September 13, 2009)

Local artist & friend of the blog, Anne Cubberly weekly posts free events happening in the City of Hartford so that everyone can enjoy! This week's listings of free events & offerings after the jump!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

Billings Forge: 539 Broad St. jlamotta@billingsforgeworks.org
Artists Residency : Tour the studios of artists Miguel Carter Fisher,
Kimberly Gill, Robert Charles Hudson & Greg Russell
some studios may be open from 6 - 9pm

Real Art Ways: 56 Arbor St. www.realartways.org
Trans-community Forum: Participants tell stories about their lives as
transgender people, friends and family to transgender communities
Reception at 7pm, Discussion at 7:30 pm

Trinity College: Performance Lab: 240 New Britain Ave
Tenor saxophonist Mixashawn, mixes music with story telling
inviting audience participation.
7:30 pm

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Charter Oak Cultural Center: 21 Charter Oak Ave www.charteroakcenter.org
Jazz in the Pocket: High School Jazz Jam: High School students and
all ages bring ring your instruments !
6:30 pm

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

Colt Park: Wawarme Ave www.friendsofvintagebaseball.org
Vintage Baseball: Colt Meadows Invitational
Providence Grays vs Newtown Sandy Hooks
1:00 pm

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Bushnell Park: www.hopeoutloud.org
Hope Out Loud : Peace & Arts Festival, Join your community for a day of
music, dance, poetry, family activities, peace and the arts.
Bring a picnic.
Noon to 5 pm

Hartford Public Library: 500 Main St. www.hplct.org
2009 Connecticut Book Awards: This event is a tribute to Ct.'s literary
community honoring books with ties to the state.
Awards ceremony 2 - 2:30 pm


For More Free Events go to www.letsgoarts.org and look under " Fill your Social Calendar".
The Greater Hartford Arts council has put together this great resource to find events.
You can even do a "free" search !

CALL TO ARTISTS..............................

Artists wanted for DIRT: an original performance written and created by Dan Blow and
Anne Cubberly. Performances are scheduled for October 30, 31 & November 1
in the Atheneum's Aetna Theater. We are looking for volunteer kuroko,
Techies, back stage hands, bang-on-a-can drummers, stage manager
and performers. Questions ? email jknelson37@aol.com


Hartt School is hosting a Community Block Party and looking for artists
to perform or give workshops at The Handel Performing Arts Center on
Saturday October 10. For more information contact:
Diana Moller Marino, Hartt Theatre Division, 860-768-2465, moller@hartford.edu


VOLUNTEERING..................................

Hands On Hartford: 40 Pratt St. www.handsonhartford.org
Volunteer ! Check out there website and see all the ways you can connect with your community.

Hartford Stage: 50 Church St. www.hartfordstage.org
Ushers see the shows for free, go to the website to find out more.


ONGOING....................................................

Hartford Public Library: 500 Main St. www.hplct.org
The Art Of Writing: A multicultural calligraphy exhibit illuminating the art and
history of the written word.

Real Art Ways: 56 Arbor St. www.realartways.org
Real Public: four public art projects in Parkville and Frog Hollow. Get a map at RAW
to see these artworks by Margarida Correia, Satch Hoyt, Sofia Madonado and
Matthew Rodriguez from May 30 on.....
Gelah Penn: Clash by Night, her site specific installation explores drawing
in 3-dimensional space. Exhibit runs through October 11

Charter Oak Cultural Center: 21 Charter Oak Ave www.charteroakcenter.org
Michael Grady: Odes to Solitude: Portraits that record essential truths
and unexpected detail. Through September 15

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art: 600 Main St. www.therussellct.com
Jazz at The Russell
Sundays, 12-3 pm

Red Rock Tavern: 369 Capitol Ave 860-246-4527 www.facebook.com/redrocktavern
Tame the Brain Trivia Night: All Categories, Hosted by Craig B. & Ryan Smart
from 104.1. Prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place team !
Mondays 8 - 10:30 pm

The Russell: 103 Pratt St. www.therussellct.com
Love Jone's Experience: Live poetry and music, don't miss it.
Mondays at 9pm

Black Eyed Sally's: 350 Asylum St. www.hartfordjazzjam.com
Hartford Jazz Society Jam
Mondays, 8-11pm

Firebox: 539 Broad St. www.fireboxrestaurant.com
Wednesdays, Latin Jazz from 8-11
Sundays, Blue Grass from 5-8pm

McKinnon's Irish Pub: 114 Asylum St. www.mckinnonsirishpub.com
Irish session hosted by P.V. O' Donnell
Wednesdays, 7;30-10 pm

La Casona Restaurant : 681 Wethersfield Ave www.casonarestaurant.com
Latin Music Open Mic: Hosted by Carlos Hernandez Chavez and Jay Borges.
Thursdays 6-9 pm

Spiritus: 220 Asylum St. www.spiritus.com
Wine Tasting
Thursdays from 4:30-7 pm & Saturdays from 1-4 pm

Free Ride.......Hartford Star Shuttle www.hartford.gov/parking
M-F, 7am-11pm, Sat. 3 pm-11pm
See the website for the shuttle route

Input ? Feedback ? Bring it ! If you don't want to receive these emails let me know.

Fretfully, Anne

Remembering Daniel Carey

Hartford Town & City Clerk Dan Carey, swearing in Mayor Eddie A. Perez, 1/7/08 (Image from City of Hartford website)

If one has ever spent any time in Hartford's City Hall, the news this past Friday, September 11, 2009 that Town & City Clerk Daniel Clerk had passed away would have touched you in a profound way. Dan Carey was more than just a public servant, he was the heart and soul of City Hall. His office was at the end of the large atrium, and open to all. And he was always happy to greet all visitors, assist them with their needs, and if he couldn't do it, he knew who could. As many have stated over the past few days, his energy was infectious and it spread to his staff who followed his example to make certain his office ran flawlessly. Unlike most, Dan's work as a public servant for Hartford didn't stop when he clocked out; no matter where he went after hours, he was the same guy out of the office, spreading good cheer in public around town, doing his best to lift Hartford's spirit. He loved life and lived it to the fullest. He always had a kind word, and when times were particularly tough, he'd shrug his shoulders, offer some words and try to move past it. That's how I remember him.

Dan, you will be missed.

More after the jump...

Just a few weeks ago, I was riding on my bike from work to the South End, not a path I normally take. While stopped at the light of the intersection of Prospect & Arch Streets, behind City Hall, a car rolled up to the light next me and the window rolled down.

"Hey, kid!" Dan Carey shouted from the driver's seat, beaming his smile and chewing gum, "What's happening?" I shouted my response over the traffic. "Good job," he shouted back, "Riding your bike to save the environment! Keep it up, kid!" and just like that, the light changed for us, and we went our ways. After a long day at work, that small encounter made me smile and laugh. Because that's the type of energy that Dan Carey gave off. It was just one of those small moments, memorable then because he thought enough to roll down his window to say 'Hey, kid," as was his nature; memorable now because it was the last time I would see Dan.

No matter what the occassion, Dan always walked over to me, shook my hand, and would say one of his customary greetings, "Hey," "What's happening?", "Hi, Dan Carey, Town and City Clerk" (when being introduced, obviously), and of course, "Hey, kid". For 8 years, I would see Dan regularly on visits to City Hall, either on business (recording council meetings or some other event) or just stopping in with my producer Troy Stewart. Dan was always happy and carefree, despite the weight of being not just a civil servant, but of being a civil servant with the responsibilities of the Town & City Clerk's Office. And proud of his job he was. On several occasions over the years, he was interviewed on Hartford Public Access by Nancy Mulroy, Beverly Dawes, Sarah Barr, Troy Stewart, interns, and former Councilwoman Marilyn Rosetti regarding his position and responsibilities as Town & City Clerk.

In fact, Dan wasn't just being interviewed by his friend Marilyn Rosetti, he was pinch-hitting for her regular co-host; in other words, doing what he did best, gladly helping out. That's what he seemed to really enjoy about his job, was that he was helping his neighbors and friends get things done in the city. From marriage licenses, to keeping the town & city records, to making certain that voting rights of Hartford residents were protected, he was there to do his job and he did it well. For the 8 seasons of budget hearings I sat in on, The Office of The Town & City Clerk was without fail, the most laid back and relaxed hearings; Dan and his staff had things in order and things accounted for.

As I stated previously, his service didn't stop at the doors of his office or in council chambers. Dan was the proud representative for Hartford in the Sister Cities Committee, representing our Irish sister city. He worked hard with the Sister Cities program and I was fortunate enough to see some of those events (I sat in to represent Portugal's Sister City, despite not being from there). Looking back, I actually should have done more and feel that I let him down for not having done that.

Since I was informed of his death on Friday via, of all things, social media, I've been replaying some of my greatest Dan Carey hits in my head. I reference social media because Dan was the embodiment of 'social'; he was the giant smile and hearty laugh where ever you were at with him. Sadly, I only ever got to hang out with him socially a few times in our years; one such time was at The Half Door where he made good on a promise to buy me a round on St. Paddy's day. As packed as the place was and as difficult as it was to get to the bar, when he saw me, he ushered me over there to grab a pint of Guinness (& whiskey) and shoot the breeze for a bit (I might add, as is no secret, he was of course talking up lovely lady after lovely lady while we stood there).

I'll share two of our favorite running gags: without fail, every council meeting which we were at, he'd walk over and remind me to make certain to film his good side. During the council meeting, I would inevitably catch him as he would stand up to hand off a sheet to his staff member, thereby catching his waist/torso instead of his face! He would then, without fail, adjust his pants. Once he found out that this was happening, I swear, he started doing it on purpose just to get me! (ok, and I would cut to him standing if I had the shot just to mess with him). The other thing was his gum chewing! What was that about? He was always chewing gum, and I swear, Dan would chew it louder when he was talking to me! It was hilarious though, when I'd introduce him to my cute female interns and he'd put on the notorious "Dan Carey Charm", "Hi there. How you doin'?" (Dan-Carey-trademark smile at lovely intern) and back to chewing gum.

And yet, Dan was never fake. You always knew where you stood with him. When he got on a program or when we had him do PSAs, he was always down to earth, and ironically enough, seemed the most bashful of all to be on camera. But then, he'd soldier through it with a smile and laugh, "Let's bang this out," and back to work. Dan Carey was the heart and soul of City Hall; it's going to be colder place to walk into now.

So, whenever you can, lift a pint up to Dan Carey, 'cause he'd do the same for you.