This is the third entry in a three-part series entitled How a Pandemic Changed Learning, which is focused on how COVID-19 has impacted local schools and how the affected have adapted to overcome new challenges. The series will focus on three of the most heavily-impacted groups in our schools: teachers, students & their parents. Read More!

Following the summer of 2020, which was one of the most socially-active years ever documented in the history of the United States, people’s desire to help marginalized communities expanded tremendously. The whole nation was looking to support black-owned businesses, which was evident through Google’s reported 7000% increase in the search category “black-owned” from 2019.

This is the second entry in a three-part series entitled How a Pandemic Changed Learning, which is focused on how COVID-19 has impacted local schools and how the affected have adapted to overcome new challenges. The series will focus on three of the most heavily-impacted groups in our schools: teachers, students & their parents.

The recently painted ‘Birthing a Legacy’ Mural at Manchester’s Mahoney Center has been catching the attention of people across the state. On this past Martin Luther King Jr. Day, news stations flocked to see the beautiful, complete mural after a weekend of hard work and late nights by artist Ben Keller.

As a part of the Town’s collaboration with consulting company BerryDunn in the development of the new Parks & Facilities Master Plan, a survey was recently administered to Manchester residents by the ETC Institute.

During an average school year, teaching can be difficult enough. Even in the best of times, teaching is full of early mornings, scrambling to manage dozens of hormonal students and long weekends packed with grading coursework. It is a job that is uniformly underappreciated, as society often fails to acknowledge the many sacrifices that teachers make to provide a quality education.

Volunteerism has been a historic part of American civic life, offering a way for people to reach out and serve others, helping to strengthen and build important ties across communities.

The first true nor’easter snow storm of the season has already come and gone, leaving behind nearly a foot of snow and a chill in the air. While snowfall in Manchester brings many fun opportunities for children to break out their snowsuits and sleds, snow storms also come with a wide range of risks both at home and out on the roads.

With the start of the December month, 2020 is beginning to come to a close and 2021 is on the horizon. After the seemingly insurmountable challenges culminating this year, 2021 stands as a beacon of hope and as a fresh start for many.

The Spruce Street Community Garden was a vision of local professional gardener, Bettylou Sandy, who was seeking to create a place of peace and quiet on the busy street in the center of Manchester. Continue Reading!

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on communities throughout the globe, but one demographic in particular has been hit the hardest. According to the CDC, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age with older adults at highest risk.

Halloween. The spooky and fun-filled autumn holiday comes once a year, and this time round it comes with a whole lot of questions. Children and families all across the country who celebrate Halloween have been left wondering how to do so during a pandemic or if there are even any options for celebrating safely.

Calling all those who enjoy trick or treating and care about the future of the Manchester community! On Saturday, October 24th from 9:00-11:00 AM the Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation will be hosting Trick or Treat for Our Parks, an event taking place across town at four separate locations.

As the leaves start to change color and temperatures begin to drop, many people begin heading indoors and turning on their heaters for the first time this fall season. Fire Prevention Week comes at such a crucial time, taking place each October.

After all of the ups and downs of 2020, it is difficult to even begin to imagine what the future will look like, let alone plan for it. While present challenges deserve attention, envisioning the future and taking steps toward that vision is essential to maintaining hope and building a better community for future generations. Read More!

On Saturday, October 3, 2020 the Manchester Rotary Club will be hosting Rotary in Motion, a community outing for people of all abilities, in addition to the celebration of the long-anticipated dedication of the Michael B. Lynch Memorial Pavilion at Charter Oak Park.

One of the most important and meaningful projects undertaken in the Boy Scouts of America organization is the Eagle Project. It is a requirement for becoming an Eagle Scout, which is the highest honor and rank a Boy Scout can achieve.

The Black Lives Matter protests currently sweeping the country have been labeled by many as part of the new civil rights movement. This broader national movement has brought long-needed change with it, from the removal of statues honoring racist figureheads to police reform and policy change.

I’m not from Manchester. That feels like a good place to start before diving into what is going to be (spoiler alert) a pretty honest conversation about communication in this town. I might not be from here, but I am proud to be here.

Protests in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement have taken place around the world, across the United States, and even Manchester, CT. With protests appearing to have peaked on Juneteenth, what happens now?

As a result of the boredom of quarantine and the cancellation of Manchester’s 4th of July Fireworks, many have been setting off their own leading to a rise in complaints. This has been occurring not only in Manchester, but across the country. New York Daily News reported that fireworks complaints had skyrocketed in New York City, with some blaming them on quarantine boredom.

The Manchester community is banding together to support local businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Several initiates are underway encouraging residents to shop in downtown Manchester including – Chalkbombing!

Just when I thought I was getting used to the constant stress of a 24 hour news cycle, this happens…

Race matters. It matters everywhere and certainly here in Manchester, affecting things that are sometimes obvious and often subtle and all sorts of things in between.