Bristol Warren Community Outreach Lecture Series to Begin Feb 29

Topic: Internet Safety and Use of Social Media BRISTOL — The Bristol Warren Education Foundation (BWEF) and the Bristol Warren Regional School District (BWRSD) have partnered on an initiative to engage the community. Together, they are launching a community outreach series to focus on topics of interest to parents, students and members of community. #The series will focus on topics of interest to parents, students and members of the community. The goal of the series is to build awareness around relevant issues and current educational initiatives, help adults and youth meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world, and hone the tools in the parent’s and educator’s toolbox that will support student success. The series is designed to provide a forum for parents, educators and members of the community to share views on a wide range of topics. #The kickoff to the series will be a discussion of “Internet Safety and Use of Social Media.” The featured speaker will be Larry Filippelli, Ed.D. Mr. Filippelli is an instructor at the Johnson and Wales University Graduate School and the assistant superintendent for the Scituate (R.I.) School Department. He is the president/proprietor of Education Consulting Services for the Education Consortium, LLC. Mr. Filippelli was appointed in 2010 to a special R.I. Senate commission to study and make recommendations on the problem of cyberthreats, cyberbullying, bullying and sexting. His interactive lectures focus on cyberbullying and threats, internet safety, and appropriate use of social networking sites for adolescents. #The event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at the historic Bristol Statehouse, 240 High St., from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event, which is being underwritten by 'Voices for Bristol,' is free and open to the public. #Sharing the belief that excellence in public education is essential to the economic and social health of the community, BWEF and BWRSD are committed to providing opportunities for dialog for parents, educators, students and community members. #“This series creates a forum for creative thought, innovative problem solving, and practical discussion at a time when public education is experiencing a major transformation,” said schools superintendent Melinda Thies. “At this exciting time, the district is very fortunate to have the advocacy of such a talented partner as BWEF.” #BWEF is a nonprofit foundation that provides grants for educational programs at Bristol and Warren public schools. The Foundation believes strongly that research demonstrates a strong correlation between community involvement in education and its positive effects on achievement #“BWEF exists to help build bridges within the community it serves, not only through the grants it funds, which open new worlds of opportunity to BWRSD students, but also by connecting local citizens to the public schools in a constructive, engaging way, building relationships and expanding support for public education,” said BWEF board chairman Jock Hayes. “This series and partnership with BWRSD is yet another meaningful way that BWEF can support that goal. In an effort to be a relevant as possible, BWRSD and BWEF are hoping to hear from you. They are asking for input from the community on topics for future programs.”

Coggeshall Farm Conference March 2-4

This came in yesterday from Justin Squizzero from Coggeshall Farm. For registration and a detailed agenda go to: http://www.coggeshallfarm.org/PDFs/Conference%20Program.pdf We're hosting a conference at Coggeshall Farm Museum, and you're all invited! Ever wanted to know what goes into creating a living history experience? Want to learn more about how historians study the past, recreate its world, and share it with the public? Join experts from across the northeast as they explore just these questions in lectures, discussions, hands-on workshops, and tours. This is the first time Coggeshall Farm Museum has hosted this conference and we're excited to bring the leaders of the field (and barn and farmhouse!) to Bristol. The New England Region of The Association for Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museums welcomes anyone interested in agriculture, the past, and how to make them relevent to contempory lives to attend its 2012 Conference hosted by Coggeshall Farm Museum. Session topics range from discussions about animal care in museums to the religious diversity in colonial Rhode Island. Make a felt "Round" hat (all the rage in the 1790s), get your goose cooked, or learn how to carve slate by hand with just a mallet and chisel. Tour historic sites and farms throughout the East Bay and meet the people who bring history to life across the country. Whether you've made a carrer of working in museums or just enjoy learning about the past, this conference has something for you. To download a copy of the Conference Program and Registration Information, please visit our website, www.coggeshallfarm.org/alhfam.html. We hope to see you there! Justin L. Squizzero Director of Historic Interpretation Coggeshall FARM MUSEUM 401.253.9062 www.CoggeshallFarm.org

Concert at St. Michael's Sunday, Feb. 12

The Community Concert Series@St. Michael's presents the Boston String Quartet, performing "World Song." Come and roam the musical world with original arrangements of classical, jazz, rock and folk favorites, including Bulgarian, Taiwanese and Transylvanian folk songs, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Gershwin, Santana, Tower of Power, and Harry Chapin. The Boston String Quartet is a high-energy ensemble with an unconventional emphasis on rhythm and beats. Since its formation in 2004, the Quartet has been a creative leader in fusing contemporary music with classical tradition, and the Boston Globe credits them with continually "exploring different ways of sparking musical interest." Sunday, February 12, 2012, 3:00 PM St. Michael's Church, 399 Hope St., Bristol Tickets: $20, $15 (seniors), $10 (students) Available at Paper Packaging & Panache and at the door. Visit www.ccsatsm.org

or call 253-6084 for more information.

Walley School: Arts in Bristol Forum

This post comes from RWU's Arnold Robinson - Director of Community Partnerships. Meeting: Wednesday, February 8 6pm with dinner - 6:30pm with out. If you are interested in the future of the Walley School building and its relationship to the arts in Bristol - please try to attend this meeting. January 24, 2012 As you may know, during the fall of 2011 two groups of students from Roger Williams University worked with officials from the Town of Bristol to explore ways in which the Walley School (at the corner of High and State Streets) might be reused, with a focus on expanding the arts in Bristol and the East Bay. As part of that effort, there was a public workshop in early October at the Town Hall. The students completed their work in December, and the project Steering Committee is sorting through those results and working to identify potential new uses for Walley School, as well as the Reynolds and Byfield Schools. At the same time we are recognizing that the arts are playing a large role in the cultural and economic life of our community. Within this context, decisions about these Town-owned buildings and coordination of arts development are vitally important to our future. In order to plan for these buildings and identify elements of a shared vision for the arts in our community, there will be an open Vision and Planning meeting on Wednesday, February 8th at the Reynolds School building on High Street. All individuals and organizations interested and involved in arts creation, presentation, development and support are invited to attend, share information and express their opinions. The schedule for the event will include: Pizza, salad, beverages and dessert from 6:00 to 6:30 Sharing of information on Steering Committee and Roger Williams student work to date. Brainstorming to formulate a broad, shared vision for the arts in Bristol (and East Bay as necessary), focusing on its role in the cultural, educational and economic life of the community. Formulating conceptual ideas for enhancement, expansion and development of facilities for arts creation, presentation, development and support within Town-owned and other facilities. This session would be open to the public, but we encourage all known stakeholders in the arts communities (performing, visual, arts education and other) to attend, if possible. The RI State Council for the Arts and Town and East Bay leaders are also being invited to participate. Please feel free to invite ant individuals and groups who you think would be interested. The overall objective is to facilitate a session that concludes with a broad vision for the arts in Bristol, shared by the majority, into which a vibrant, refurbished Walley School might play a key role. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Sue Contente at 254-3683 so we can plan for food and seating. If you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you! Arnold N. Robinson, AICP Director, Community Partnerships Center Roger Williams University One Old Ferry Road Bristol, RI 02809-2921 Phone: (401) 254-3307 Fax: (401) 254-3565 Email: arobinson@rwu.edu

Dr. Esselstyn to speak at Kripalu on February 24 in western MA

http://www.heartattackproof.com/excerpt.htm http://www.heartattackproof.com/excerpt.htm Hi PB Blog readers: I have been having some technical difficulties with the blog. According to Google - My browser is outdated and is no longer supported. If this is so, the blog will have to be postponed until a new iMac is purchased. This may not happen for at least several months. The link above is an amazing article about the importance of nutrition/diet in preventing heart attacks. Basically what Dr. Esselstyn says is you can't eat anything that's a mother or that has a face. YOu can't have any dairy or OIL. You can eat all plant based food (no avacados) and fruits with the exception of nuts. (I don't know what he thinks about alcohol...!)Smoking is OUT. All grains are OK. Don't know about you, but this is pretty radical. Let's see if this posts to the blog! If the link is not live, copy and paste it into your browser. Dr. E's book is titled: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.,MD (This is the diet President Clinton went on.)