‘Broadway on the Boulevard’ gala slated for May 6
“Broadway on the Boulevard,” celebrating the grand opening of the Rockwell Theater at the Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School will not only feature Bristol native and New York performer Kevin Raponey but also local talent.
The evening program will kick off at 5 p.m. with a reception in the art gallery and black box theater. Hors
d’oeuvres and mocktails will be served during an open gallery experience featuring local art as
well as live musical performances.
At 6 p.m., the theater will open and the evening’s entertainment will begin.
Tickets for “Broadway on the Boulevard” are $50 per person. Proceeds from the event will support the Rockwell Theater fund, supporting activities and performances in Bristol.
Bristol resident receives new washer and dryer from The Joe Andruzzi Foundation
John Parker, a cancer patient in Bristol, received a new washer and dryer from The Joe Andruzzi Foundation last month.
The washing machine and dryer donation was granted through the Foundation’s Extraordinary Needs Program, which is in partnership with One Mission (OM) to provide New England cancer patients and their families with a one-time grant of up to $4,000 for project-based needs such as home improvement projects or dental work, according to a JAF press release.
Three-time Super Bowl champion, former New England Patriot and JAF chief engagement officer Joe Andruzzi, was on hand for the delivery.
Joe Andruzzi, left, sits with JAF patient recipient John Parker after helping donate a brand-new washing machine and dryer to his home on Friday, April 21.
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation helps New Englanders battling cancer through a variety of grants including Household Assistance, Extraordinary Needs, Food Security Assistance, Transportation Assistance, (Up)Beat Opportunities and additional resources.
In 2022, more than $1 million was distributed in direct assistance to help 3,762 individuals with financial assistance to pay for housing, transportation, utilities, food, insurance, and other household expenses.
Founded in 2008 by former New England Patriots three-time Super Bowl Champion offensive guard Joe Andruzzi and his wife Jen, the Joe Andruzzi Foundation grew out of Andruzzi’s own successful battle with cancer and the couple’s ongoing work with young cancer patients.
In 2007, Joe’s football career abruptly ended when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Burkitt’s lymphoma. Disease-free less than a year later, Andruzzi and his wife, Jen, chose to dedicate their lives towards solving the financial distress a cancer diagnosis can cause in the lives of patients and families.
For more information, or to make a donation, please visit: joeandruzzifoundation.org or Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
Bristol Mustangs honor fallen Bristol police officers
The Bristol Mustangs, who play in the 35-plus division of the Connecticut North Men’s Senior Baseball League, will be wearing new baseball hats that include a custom-made patch that pays tribute to Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy, who lost their lives in the line of duty on Oct. 12, 2022.
The patch, sewn onto the back of the Mustangs’ new caps, carries special significance for the Mustangs: Lt. DeMonte was the cousin of center fielder Bryan Webster. Webster, a graduate of Bristol Eastern High School, is a four-time league all-star for the Mustangs. Mustangs’ player David Kull designed the patch.
The 2023 season is the sixth for the Mustangs in Bristol. They play their home games at Page Park, mostly doubleheaders on Sunday mornings through mid-August. The team is comprised mostly of players from Bristol and the surrounding communities. Their next home games are Sunday, May 21, against Ledyard.
Master’s level clinical internship through Wheeler Clinic
Wheeler Clinic is offering placement for interns in both outpatient and In-home settings, including experience working with dual diagnosed acute clients, presenting with psychiatrist conditions, substance use disorders and other social determinate of health.
Interns will receive practical training on agency Electronic Health Records, the use and application of the DMS-TR, individualized treatment planning, evidenced based practices, as well as resume building and preparation to enter into the clinical workforce.
Candidate must be currently enrolled in a university master’s program for Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), Clinical Mental Health Counseling. For information, click here.
Free parenting program aids families
Wheeler is offering a free six-week virtual Circle of Security® Parenting™ class to teach parents and caregivers how to better understand the needs of children and adolescents, bring joy to families, and promote healthy and positive parenting.
The virtual sessions are open to parents, caregivers, grandparents, foster parents, and childcare providers. Course certificates of completion are provided for all who attend all six sessions in their entirety. Space is limited.
The courses are facilitated by Melissa Mendez, LCSW, director of early childhood programs at Wheeler.
Mendez says in a recent announcement from Wheeler that the program focuses on an attachment theory for how parents and caregivers acknowledge their own frustration at the complexities of parenting today.
For more information or to RSVP, please email Mendez at mmendez@wheelerclinic.org.
Vietnam-era veteran’s ‘Spouse Appreciation Day’ to be held May 13 at Bristol Public Library; participants asked to register by May 6
Vietnam-era serving veterans’ “Spouse Appreciation Day” will be held May 13 at the Bristol Public Library, 5 High St. Spouses and families are asked to register by May 6 to ensure everyone is properly recognized. Email www.bristollib.com or phone (860) 584-7787 ext. 3.
A Certificate of Thanks and Appreciation from the Bristol community will be presented to spouses or immediate family members. Spouses may receive a red or white carnation, honoring their Vietnan-era veteran (living or deceased).
Spouses and/or immediate family members of Vietnam-era veterans surviving anywhere in the world between 1955 and May 1975, and who do not need to have served in a conflict, are eligible. Spouses may have been married to Vietnam-era veterans at any point in their lives during or after the 1955-1975 era.
Wheeler 38th annual golf tournament fundraiser set for Sept. 13
Wheeler’s 38th Annual Golf Classic, presented by Mutual of America Financial Group for the fifth consecutive year, will take place at The Country Club of Farmington on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Registration is open, and sponsors, players, and prize donors are welcome.
Proceeds from this event will support our planned community health center and flagship location in Bristol, which will provide convenient, whole-health services for the whole family in one convenient location.
In 2022, the Golf Classic event grossed a record-breaking $100,000 to support individuals and families in care through Wheeler’s Basic Needs Fund, bringing the total amount raised since its inception to more than $1.3 million.
For more information, visit WheelerHealth.org/Golf or contact Sue O’Connell at 860.793.4214, 860-609-1583, or soconnell@wheelerclinic.org.
2023 ‘Dinner on the Diamond’ tickets on sale
Tickets for the “Second Annual Dinner on the Diamond,” benefiting the Friends of Bristol Parks and Recreation Fund, are now on sale.
The date for the fundraiser is Saturday, May 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. The event includes dinner and entertainment directly on the infield at historic Muzzy Field. The celebration not only kicks off summer in style but celebrates Bristol’s local parks and recognizes community partners.
The Friends of Bristol Parks and Recreation Fund is administered through the Main Street Community Foundation. For information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Exchange Club to hold ‘Honoring Heroes’ program in June
The Greater Bristol Exchange Club will be honoring the late police officers Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy, along with Officer Alec Iurato as this year’s “Police Officers of the Year” at its “Honoring Heroes” program at the Aqua Turf Grand Ball Room on June 29.
DeMonte and Hamzy were struck down in the line of duty in an Oct. 12 shooting. Iurato, who was injured in the same incident, is credited for stopping the shooter.
Proceeds from the event will go to the “Fund the First,” a fund which was set up in honor of our deceased officers, and to assist their families.
Tickets are available online at Honoring Heroes Tickets. For sponsorships, go to Sponsorships.
For information, contact Exchange Club program director, Jack Ferraro at TheBristolExchangeClub@gmail.com.
Bristol Hospital bed capacity
As of May 2, 61.3 percent or on average 82.1 of 134 adult staffed hospital beds, the same as the previous week, were occupied at Bristol Hospital, according to the State of Connecticut’s Data and Analytics division.
During the same week, the number of occupied staffed ICU beds remained at 64 percent or 9 of 14 from the previous reporting period.
Latest COVID-19 stats
Bristol’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 2.4 up from 2.2 percent the previous week, with 5 positive cases down from 6 positive cases the previous week, leaving Bristol in the medium category with fewer than 15 cases per 100,000 people. Hartford County is in the low category again this week.
The CDC recommends that people at high risk for severe illness, talk to their healthcare provider about whether to need to wear a mask and take other precautions. In addition, the CDC reminds people to take the following measures:
- Wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation.
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
- Get tested if you have symptoms.
- If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider taking additional precautions.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.