Coggeshall Farm: Wool and Fiber Festival Saturday May 21

Coggeshall Farm: Wool and Fiber Festival Saturday May 21
A celebration of wool and fiber arts and artisans!

Join fiber and textile enthusiasts from across the Northeast at Rhode Island's only Wool and Fiber Festival.

See craftspeople demonstrate traditional and contemporary fiber arts; purchase your own textile supplies, equipment, and gifts to take home; watch the hand shearing of sheep, and help with 18th century textile and farm work.

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM: Be careful parking. The ground is soft and wet and soon to be muddy!
$8.00 for Adults; $5.00 for Seniors and Children (6-12); Children under 5 Free. Museum Members-$5.00

The Work We Value, The Intelligence We Ignore: Is the Work that Made America Great Valued Any Longer?

Mike Rowe comments on Manual Labor and the widening skills gap in our country. He is the host of the Discovery Channel's show Diry Jobs founded as a tribute to his grandfather. We have "shovel ready" projects but no one who knows how or wants to use a shovel!
"It occurred to me that I had become disconnected from a lot of things that used to fascinate me. I no longer thought about where my food came from, or how my electricity worked, or who fixed my pipes, or who made my clothes. There was no reason to. I had become less interested in how things got made, and more interested in how things got bought." Link to short video clip and essay here:
http://tinyurl.com/6druxce

Habitat for Humanity party on June 4 on Goat Island

Not many East Bay residents know that there is an active chapter of Habitiat for Humanity right here. The East Bay Chapter of HFH is currently building a home in Newport off Spring Street for a family of three and hope to build the next somewhere in Bristol County in the near future.

The chapter needs your support at their major fundraiser on June 4th. Join them for an evening of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, live music and dancing while overlooking the iconic Newport skyline at the Regatta Club on Goat Island.

The Seaside Soiree on June 4th helps our neighbors in need. As the sun sets on the City-by-the-Sea, celebrate for an extraordinary cause and partake in a fantastic silent auction. Tickets are just $75 before May 27, $90 after May 28th and at the door, ALL INCLUSIVE.

Visit www.habitateastbayri.org to purchase through Pay Pal or call 888-270-5274 or 253 7837 for tickets and information.

Susan Donovan
President HFH East Bay RI

How to train your dragon character sketches!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=20alb2pVBPM

Mount Hope Farm needs volunteers this Saturday May 14

Mount Hope Farm can use your help this Saturday May 14

The Pepsi Cola Company, Mount Hope Farm, Bristol Parks and Recreation, and the URI Master Gardeners are hosting a
Clean Up Day at Mount Hope Farm
on Saturday, May 14, beginning at 8:30 AM.

Volunteers can lend a hand with a variety of projects from painting to landscaping. The URI Master Gardeners will oversee the restoration of the Governor Bradford House Gardens using a vintage Haffenreffer-era landscape plan. This is a great opportunity to learn about historic landscape design and basic gardening skills from master gardeners, while helping to preserve Mount Hope Farm. Other projects will include painting, erecting a new pasture fence, invasive brush removal and more.

Please join us for this fun-filled volunteering opportunity sponsored by Pepsi, who has graciously provided funding for the clean up, corporate volunteers and refreshments.

To volunteer, please email your name to peg@mounthopefarm.com or call 401-254-1745.
Volunteer registration is in the Barn on Saturday morning.

Southside Community Land Trust Rare Plant sale at City Farm this weekend

http://tinyurl.com/3go6uwb

East Bay Sailing Foundation Fundraiser

There will also by a silent auction which has some amazing items from an American Eagle charter to a sailing lesson on Kestrel to fabulous sailing gear from Helly Hansen, KInder Industries and others. Email Jim Dollins at jdollins1@cox.net to receive a list of the 25 auction items.
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Mount Hope Farm and the Pepsi Challenge on Saturday May 14!

Volunteers wanted for Saturday, May 14 to help MHF and our troops overseas.
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Bristol Conservation Summit Friday night at Audubon

Where: Audubon Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope St, Bristol, RI 02809
Date: Friday May 6, 2011
Time: 6:30pm–8:30pm
Sponsored by the Bristol Land Conservation Trust. Marks the 25th anniversary of the organization. Light supper, cash bar.

Telephone: Ray Payson 253-0247
Price: $15 for Land Trust participants; $25 for general public
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Amourri's Gas prices up .35 in a month!

I thought Amour meant Love and that 'Amour RI' meant Love Rhode Island... But this is definitely not the case with current gas prices in Bristol's only downtown gas station called Amourri's. Here are their prices for the past month for unleaded regular:
$3.62 April 4
$3.67 April 9
$3.86 April 18
$3.91 April 25
$3.97 May 5

addendum:
$3.99 May 6

How is this affecting air travel and shipping rates? We welcome your comments.

Free Yoga at Bristol Yoga Studio in May

The Bristol Yoga Studio and the Bristol Good Neighbors Soup KItchen are teaming up! This is your chance to try out a yoga class for free and to make a modest contribution to the soup kitchen. Yoga classes are open to all levels of experience! Go to www.bristolyogastudio.com to review the schedule.
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Bristol Zoning board denies Countrywide Gold in 4-1 vote Monday night

For those of you new to Preserve Bristol - creating the Formula Business Ordinance was how we spontaneously formed in 2004 fighting the arrival of the downtown Dunkin Donuts. DD was grandfathered but the ordinance was approved in June 2004. Image above shows one of our campaign buttons from 2004!
Some of the reasons for the denial of the motion given at the Zoning Board Meeting on Monday May 2, 2011 were the following:
The unique character of Bristol would be adversely affected by this new type of business. It is not consistent with the image of the downtown area. It would be a negative influence on the preservation and character of the community and does not compliment other businesses in the historic district. (especially being next door to a TOY store.) Related article by Christy Nadalin in Tuesdays PATCH. http://patch.com/A-hgzd

Sir Ken Robinson:The Learning Revolution Ted Talk

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! | Video on TED.com
Talent is diverse! A new 10 minute video focusing on the need for organic, personalized education not linear and standardized like we have now. It's the Fast Food model of education vs the customized personal one! LIke horticulture, create good conditions and let it go. Thanks to the art room for bringing pb's attention to this video.

Olmstead movie Thursday 4/28/11 in Newport

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/REMINDER---Olmsted-Documentary---Fundraiser-Tomorrow-.html?soid=1102236898489&aid=cX7IcpB_aCA

"I have all my life been considering distant effects and sacrificing immediate success and applause to that of the future." - Frederick Law Olmsted

Project Aces May 4th at 10am at Guiteras

If you feel the ground shake slightly on May 4TH do not get nervous. It’s just millions of children all over the world exercising simultaneously.

Project ACES (all children exercising simultaneously) takes place worldwide at 10:00 am on Wednesday May 4th.

In Bristol RI, over 700 students, parents and friends will gather with a DJ on the front lawn of Guiteras School on Bristol Harbor to celebrate the importance of children’s fitness.
Eight to 18 year old kids spend an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media including TV, computers, video games, cell phones and movies. When kids aren’t moving, when they’re not active, they’re less likely to grow up healthy. Being sedentary is a significant factor in our country’s building epidemic of childhood obesity.
The Centers of Disease Control strongly recommend that communities take charge and turn these unhealthy trends around. First Lady Michelle Obama launched the “Let’s Move” initiative “…dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams.”
We all have a role to play in reducing childhood obesity and the resulting health problems that may follow: Heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Asthma, Sleep apnea and/or social discrimination. Parents, elected officials, schools, the media, health care professionals, community groups, and the private sector can lead by example and bring attention to the importance of our children’s health and fitness by joining us on May 4th.
So grab your sneakers and join us on May 4th (rain date May 5th). Your involvement is key to ensuring a healthy future for our children!
For more information contact coordinator: Susan Donovan at 253 7837 or sdonovan@fctvplus.net

Save Bristol Harbor Scholarships Available

It's Time to apply for the Save Bristol Harbor Scholarship

Save Bristol Harbor will provide a $1000 college scholarship to a graduating high school senior who is pursuing a degree in the Environmental Sciences.

The applicant must be a resident of either Bristol or Warren RI who has been accepted to an accredited two or four year institution as a full time student earning a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts or Associates degree in the Environmental Sciences or a related field.

Eligible students must submit a completed application form no later than May 15th along with the required items. For an application, go to your high school guidance office or download an application off the Save Bristol Harbor Website at www.savebristolharbor.com

Raising Backyard Chickens

Below is a link to a short audio clip from WCAI on Cape Cod on raising backyard chickens. It sounds pretty easy and fun. This young Mom is doing it with six hens (who are cold weather hardy), no rooster and a small home made chicken coop. Not sure if having hens is legal yet in (parts of) Bristol...? If you know, please leave a comment.
http://www.wgbh.org/wcai/programDetail.cfm?

Silver Creek Shoreline Clean Up Saturday, May 7, 9am - noon

SILVER CREEK SHORELINE CLEANUP – SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011 (9:00AM to NOON)
SAVE BRISTOL HARBOR , in conjunction with the Town of Bristol and the Bristol DPW’s “Keep Bristol Clean” annual cleanup program, is conducting its Fifth Annual Silver Creek Cleanup on Saturday, May 7th. Volunteers interested in assisting with this cleanup should assemble at Thomas Park (directly across Hope Street/Route 114from Sip-n-Dip donut shop) at 9:00AM sharp. Following a safety briefing, the volunteers will fan out along the north and south sides of Silver Creek, retrieving whatever trash they encounter along the way. Trash bags, gloves, sunscreen, and bug spray will be provided, as will light refreshments. Volunteers should wear clothing and footwear appropriate for the marshy environment. Long-sleeved shirts, pants, and closed-toe shoes/boots are recommended. If interested, please contact Stan Dimock at sdimock@savebay.org.
In the event of rain or questionable weather on May 7th, please contact Stan Dimock at 837-5838.

Community String Project Summer Ensemble Classes

• The Community String Project Summer Ensembles are open to students entering Grade 6 through Adults. The eight-week program will run on Thursday evenings, beginning June 16 through August 4 at the First Congregational Church on High Street in Bristol. The cost for the program is $80.00. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch pay the subsidized cost of $20.00 which includes the cost of the instrument for the session.

The String Ensemble will rehearse from 5:30-7:30pm. This group is comprised of musicians who have played violin, viola, cello or bass. The String Ensemble will perform two concerts during the summer. The Summer String Ensemble will be under the direction of Christine Harrington.

The Beginner class will be offered on Thursdays from 6:30-8:00pm Please check the website cspri.org for a list of music stores renting string instruments. . The CSP offers instruments rentals at a reduced rate for students in Grades 3-12 who live in Bristol and Warren.

The Yearling class which also meets on Thursdays from 6:30-8:00 pm is for musicians who need more rigorous instruction than beginners, but not quite ready to perform with the String Ensemble. This class will comprise of musicians who have recently started to play, or who haven’t played for a long time and need a refresher course.

To register, download the registration form from www.cspri.org and mail it with a check payable to CSP, Box 513, Bristol, RI 02809. For further information, contact Robert Arsenault, President Community String Project at 254-5980 x 3165 or rjta15@gmail.com or info@cspri.org

• The Community String Project announces new Summer String Ensemble Director, Christine Harrington

Christine Harrington is a cellist and orchestra director in the Cranston, RI public schools. Christine is a past president of the Rhode Island Music Educators Association and of the Rhode Island String Teachers Association, which is the state affiliate of the American String Teachers Association. She is a founding member of the former International Association of Jazz Educators String Caucus whose primary focus was to promote improvising strings. Christine has presented many workshops on new music for improvising strings throughout the country. Christine is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music, and Wesleyan University. She has studied jazz improvisation with renowned jazz musician, Hal Crook. Christine Harrington has performed symphonic and chamber music, as well as Celtic and contemporary jazz. She performed regularly with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony for 20 years and is the cellist on Grammy nominated jazz piano and cello CD, “Sandbox” with the pianist and composer Joe Parillo and the “Celtic Fiddle Fest-Rendesvous” with Johnny Cunningham and Kevin Burke. Christine is the cellist with the Rhode Island based Gypsy ensemble, The Bohemian Quartet, which recently released its CD, “Beyond Tradition”.

Herreshoff Sailing School

http://www.herreshoff.org/programs/sailing_school.html
This just in from Richard Feeny - Herreshoff Sailing Master and Director of Sailing Education there. Sounds like they have really stepped up their sailing program. Why not give it a try! It's a lot cheaper than owning a boat!

"This summer we have five Herreshoff 12-1/2s ready for sailing school, and the 21-foot fish boat Bluefish. For outreach, charters, special trips, and races, we have the S-class Lady Luck, and Kestrel. Our staff has enrolled in spring training courses to prepare to teach you and your children. We have a new course this year, for families. On Mondays and Wednesdays we will teach parents and children as young as five years old. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we offer Adult Sailing Class, which we are selling by the week, month, or season. We are also offering private lessons.
Richard Feeny
Sailing Master and Education Program Director
Herreshoff Marine Museum
(401) 253-5000 or (401) 424-1086 mobile
Education@Herreshoff.org"

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