OneManchester

PUMPKINS AND SCARECROWS. Of all the signs of fall, those are perhaps the most defining and that’s certainly the case locally. Northwest Park will be packed again on Friday night for a Fall Fest that will include a pumpkin-lit haunted trail. Saturday will be busy downtown, with an Open House at WORK_SPACE, an outdoor market down by The Firestone and about three dozen scarecrows adding to the ambience. We have all the info below as well as pictures and more from around the school district.

Above, that's a classroom scene at Bowers and outdoor fun at the Manchester Preschool Center and below scenes from a recent Illing pep rally.

The Board of Ed meets tonight at Bowers School at 7 p.m. and will feature updates on Bowers and redistricting. You can watch tonight's meeting live or a replay of any past or future meetings on the district Facebook page.

ALSO OF NOTE:

• Sheba Vaughan Williams (right), a social worker at Verplanck Elementary School, is the first to be featured in our new ‘Manchester Momentum’ video series that "encapsulates the progress, movement, and positive change brewing within Manchester Public Schools." Here's the video.
• MPS has a hiring event scheduled for Oct. 26 and you can read about it here.
• Project Graduation is running a mums sale (click for details) and also holding a 'Pink Flamingo' fundraiser (those details are here.)

We shared through an earlier email the story of Bennet security guard Leon Haberski, who saved fifth-grade Peyton Mack from choking. We also made a Facebook post which prompted lots of comments and you can see it all here.

Thursday, Oct 12
5:30 - 7 p.m. -- Authors and Illustrators exhibit opening at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.
7 p.m. -- BOE meeting at Bowers School.

Friday, October 13
10 a.m. -- Preschool Playgroup at Mary Cheney Library.
7 p.m. -- Motor City Fever: A Musical Celebration of Motown at Cheney Hall.
5 - 8 p.m. -- Fall Fest at Northwest Park

Saturday, Oct. 14
7:15 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Free household waste dropoff day at the Transfer Station, 311 Olcott St.
8 a.m. - noon -- MACC Manchester Farmers Market at the Forest St. parking lot. Rain or shine through Oct. 28.
9 a.m. - noon -- Knights of Columbus can and bottle drive in St.James Church parking lot, 896 Main St.
9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. -- Writers Conference at WORK_SPACE

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- WORK_SPACE’s Second Saturday Monthly Open House at 903 Main St.
1 - 3 p.m. -- Children’s Harvest Costume Carnival at Church of Christ, 595 Tolland Tpke.
7 p.m. -- ‘Takin’ it to the Streets,’ The Doobie Brothers Tribute at Cheney Hall.
6 - 7:30 p.m. -- Manchester Youth Commision meeting at 41 Center St.

Sunday, Oct 15
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. - ‘Finding Your Character’ workshop at Cheney Hall.
1 - 4 p.m. -- Cheney Homestead open house, 106 Hartford Rd.
1 p.m. -- MACC’s CROP Hunger Walk at Wapping Congregational Church, 1790 Ellington Rd, South Windsor

Monday, Oct 16
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Find Your Dinosaur Roar with Michelle Urban at Whiton Library.
1 - 6 p.m. -- Red Cross Blood Drive at Church of Christ, 595 Tolland Tpke.
6:30 - 8 p.m. -- Authors & Illustrators: Art that Transforms at WORK_SPACE, 903 Main St.

Tuesday, Oct. 17
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Submarine Serenade with Michelle Urban at Mary Cheney Library.
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. -- Graphic Novel Book Club at Mary Cheney Library.
7 p.m. -- Evenings @ 7: No Cover, an intimate play reading at Cheney Hall

Wednesday, Oct. 18
4:30-7:30 p.m. -- Northwest Park Farmer’s Market at 448 Tolland Tpke.
6:30 p.m. -- The Case of Annie Le at Whiton Library.
4 -7 p.m. -- Historical Society strategy meeting, at the History Center, 175 Pine St.

It's a big bicentennial collaboration between WORK_SPACE and the town library and it starts tonight. This press release has all the info.

Also:

• The Town of Manchester is looking for the next ‘Downtown Parking Ambassador.’ Click here to learn more and apply.

• Borgida & Company’s 18th annual food drive to benefit MACCCharities is ongoing through Dec. 13. Click here for details.

• The Outdoor Market at 1115 Main St. will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m..

• Manchester PAL and YSB are teaming up for ‘After School Homework Club’ at 63 Linden St. starting this week and running through Feb. 1. Click here for registration information.

• The last free golf day of the year for residents at Manchester Country Club will be Monday.

• The Town of Manchester is hosting ‘Talk To The Architect’ library design conversations on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday (Oct 19) at 10 a.m. at Mary Cheney Library.

• Manchester Road Race registration is under way (4571 have signed up through Wednesday) and you can find the registration form here, plus some key dates leading up to the race by clicking here.

• Check the opportunities for future innovators through game nights and Holiday camps at iCodes at Burr Corners by clicking here.

The Downtown Scarecrow Festival is underway and includes this entry from students in the music wing at MHS. Hawktavo, the musical Red Hawk, is a fun take on the school’s mascot, and represents the school’s diverse and vibrant musical community. To vote visit the contest Facebook gallery.

• Rebuilding Together of Manchester will host a family friendly comedy event at the Elks Club on Oct. 19. Click here for details.

• Starting on Oct 19, WORK_SPACE will host ‘The Listening Room’ on the third Thursday of the month.

• Manchester High’s Homecoming Parade and Fanfest will be held on October 20, followed by a home football game vs. Bristol Central.

• Second Congregational Church’s Country Fair and the annual Manchester Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner will both be held on Nov. 4.

• New World Trio ‘Commemoration’ chamber music concert will be on Sunday, Nov. 5 at UUSE. Click here for more info,

• State Election Day is Nov. 7. Absentee ballots will be available starting on Oct 7. Click here to find out more.

• Disney’s Beauty & the Beast will be at Cheney Hall Nov. 10 -26. Click here for dates, times and ticket info.

• The Town of Manchester’s leaf Collection Program begins on Nov. 14. Click here for route information.

• The mobile mammography van will be at the Community Y on Nov. 30 and you can find out how to make an appointment by clicking here.
  

Wickham Park is drying out from the recent rain storms so the MHS cross country teams competed at East Hartford High on Tuesday and went home with a pair of wins. The boys won 19-36 while the girls had a clean sweep with a 15-45 win. Left to right above are: Cian Gara Grady, Sam Johnson, Harper Shirley and Mia Gilbert.

Click here for Manchester High's fall athletic schedule (and here for Illing's) and here for more pictures from Manchester athletic events.

ALSO:

• October is National Domestic Violence Month and there will be a basketball game at Manchester High on Oct. 17 to benefit Major Paul, son of victim Anastasia Paul, as well as the Domestic Violence program. Click here for more information.

Youth Basketball Opportunities

• The town is offering co-ed basketball for high school students at the Mahoney Rec on Saturdays starting in December. Click here for sign-up information.
  

• Manchester Travel Basketball teams are forming this month. Click this link for the where, when and how.
  

• The Hartford Shockers are sponsoring a winter travel basketball program starting in December for players in grades 3 - 8. Click here for more info.
• Sharpen your basketball skills with Ellington High School Coach and 1,000-point scorer, Teighlor Clare-Kearney. Click here for details.

The high school’s Maritime Studies UConn Early College Experience students built and raced their own cardboard boat -- dubbed the Red Hawk Riptide Runner -- in the annual race held at UConn-Avery Point last week.

MHS students studied historic boat building designs of the world and used cardboard and duct tape to build a modified version of a Polynesian outrigger. They spent the rest of their time on campus learning about underwater archaeology, the physics of boat building, and the political implications of maritime research from UConn professors.

DONT FORGET THE ANNEX: This is our new spillover space to other newsletters , social media accounts and more, including the 'OneManchester Planner', which has even has more calendar listings for the months ahead. Plus we share a special flashback photo from Paul Ofria each week. To get to The Annex, click here.

• NOTE: OneManchester is compiled by the school district's communications office but is dependent on contributions from people and institutions throughout the town and school district. So if you have something that you think people would want to know about, please let us know. Photos, fliers, links, tips, whatever -- please share with Paul Ofria at pofria@mpspride.org.