Sometimes we don't realize what we have in our midst, even though we drive by it a few times a day. I'm talking about the amazing facility called the Connecticut Science Center.
Tonight they held their "Green Gala" fundraiser, and it was great. The center itself is a great venue. Add to that a few hundred donors making their programs possible, food stations with everything from sushi to sliced Angus beef sliders and appletinis with dry ice added for a smoking effect( it is science , you know)and that is only the start. Performance actors dressed as birch trees, ( I know, you had to be there to appreciate it), but just imagine a large tree motioning and welcoming you into the venue and then you realize there is a human behind the outfit.
Other artists performed, reminiscent of the famous group "Stomp" except all of their music was performed on recycled buckets and construction cones. Again, you had to be there, but it had everyone in the hall gyrating to the bass and the rhythm and the sound was great.
"Street Beats" performs at the Connecticut Science Center
The DJ was also incredible. DJ Kered had the crowd moving all night, young and umm, not so young, packed the main concourse to dance to the beat. And if the night wasn't interesting enough, me dancing with Hartford Council President rJo Winch had to mean the planets were in alignment or something, or maybe it was a full moon. If that wasn't enough, dancing with Hartford's Mayor Pedro Segarra to Lady Gaga was worth the price of admission in itself.
Council President rJo Winch and myself dancing, I know ,the pic is a collectors item
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra dancing to the tones of Lady Gaga
The whole night just highlighted everything that is possible for Hartford if we come together and accentuate the positive. Many of the people weren't from Hartford, but the fact that they were willing to donate to one of Hartford's gems and spend the night downtown says something positive.
A presentation by the Connecticut Science Center's CEO and President Matt Fleury welcomed everyone to the event, but a couple of key numbers also caught my attention. Since the Center opened, over 500,000 visitors have come through the doors. I would gamble and say that is probably the highest drawing attraction in Hartford.
A second great number given by Fleury is that over 10,000 Hartford school students have visited the Center free of charge due to corporate donations.
I only wish it was possible for tonight's event to be open to everyone from Hartford. After all that we have been through and the negatives we have faced, it is great to see something positive in our midst. If nothing else we do have some great dancers from Hartford hitting the dance floor, Mayor Pedro Segarra, WFSB's Mark Dixon and Irene O'Connor, Southend leader Hyacinth Yennie, Hartford Council President rJo Winch and former Democratic Town Chair Sean Arena were just a few strutting their stuff and seemingly having a great time in our great city.
Hartford's version of Fred and Ginger, Council President rJo Winch and Sean Arena dancing the night away
It may just be a coincidence, but there seems to be a lot of positive energy happening in the last couple months and positive signs of more to come.
Maybe Hartford's motto is true "After the clouds, the sun", and maybe a good time along the way.
10 comments:
Hello Kevin,
Last nights (Green Gala) was truly a night to remember.I have not danced that much in ages! Trying to keep up Dancing with Rachel Waring , and Jen Dibella was a lot of fun! Of course our group dancing together had most wondering what has happened in Hartford, Everyone is getting along! Ha Ha!! I think everyone that was in attendance was truly inspired. The Movie presentation "BELLA GAIA"(Beautiful Earth) is something that everyone needs to see.Let's keep the momentum rolling, just think where we can go from here!
Congratulations to the Science Center and the Green Host committee you set out to rock Hartford and succeeded!!
the food for the gala could have gone to feed Hartford's folks who dont get enough to eat instead of being consumed by obese politicians.I hope any extra uneatten food went to some homeless shelter, which are filled to capacity.
" ... the important thing you've proven to the world is that a bunch of Hartford people can get together and have three hours of fun and music and have nothing but fun and music, and God bless you for it!"
Certainly appears to have been more fun than a Revitalization Zone District meeting, even in the Woodstock precinct.
I should have known that someone would try to turn a positive event into a negative.
"Ichabod", let's turn your equation around and try to figure out how many people are potentially kept out of a "homeless shelter" by the vibrancy and jobs that the Science Center brings to Hartford. How many restaurants or service jobs wouldn't exist if the Science Center didn't bring those half a million visitors to Hartford. Just for the event itself, how many bartenders, waiters and waitresses, security people, science center employees, etc...etc.. were able to make a paycheck that night.
Your comments are almost as bad as those of the Republican Town Chairman complaining about the inconvenience caused by the Hartford Marathon that brought 15,000 runners alone to Hartford, never mind everyone else that came here for the weekend and frequented Hartford hotels and restaurants.
And as far as the homeless shelters, it might be time to consider an exchange in the form of services given back to the City of Hartford by the residents of the shelters. In Hartford's current financial state, at the very least we should expect a return on some of the money poured into the shelters year after year. Maybe something in the form of assistance to Public Works or other agencies to accomplish tasks not properly performed now because of budget cuts and staff layoffs.
Brookman ,
Living la VIDA LOCA.Quita,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p47fEXGabaY
Kevin: $75 fundraiser to help Hartford turn around its dismal voter turnout, which you have decried for months, and you relentlessly criticize the event, but $135 to help, albeit, a worthy cause, and you can't stop gushing about dancing the night away being so positive for Hartford...
The truth is of course that Mayor Perez and City Hall had very little to do with developing the Science Center.While it is a wonderful thing to see,and I have seen it,and since it is located in Hartford,I see nothing wrong with Hartford residents going to a Science Center fundraiser to support a Center located in the City.
The Town Committee fundraiser is another thing entirely.While some politicians running for state office will undoubtedly stop in for a few moments,it is also true none will want to hang around very long knowing that the Party is replete with criminals,the corrupt and the incompetant.Kevin was quite correct in "bashing" the town committee.They have done next to nothing for Hartford Democrats or any of the statewide candidates and all the town committee has become is a recepticle for cronyism,incompetance and corruption.
I never take anonymous postings seriously and there is no reason to start now.While Kevin is unafraid to state his opinions, I note that the anonymous poster who criticized Kevin hasnt the balls to state their name...try to MANUP sometime Mr/Ms poster !!!
Bruce's cup of sour grapes runneth over again.
He champions town committee members for a year until he couldn't win their chairmanship, and then they became "corrupt, criminal and incompetent" overnight...
mr/Ms Anonymous 11:02 AM
First of all, I didnt put my name or hat in the voting ring to be Chair...once I saw fully the criminals,corrupt and phony "reformers" who were secretly still close to Eddie, etc., I bailed from consideration.Is there some reason why you are afraid to post your real name, so that I can address your lies?
BTW I dont have "sour grapes" at all. I was uninformed of so many felons,corrupt and incompetant within the party as I went around and vetted them I found out the true state of the party...and it was disgusting and un-energetic.The facts since then have born it out...the WFP beat the Democrats with regard to the BOE race and BTW where exactly is the party office for the upcoming election ? The answer is NOWHERE,,,If you are happy with Holloway and her folks, then by all means stick with them.
Bruce,
All I can think of is a bus, Amtrak and other massive vehicles.
Move forward.
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