Community Workshop on Route 9 Options Monday, March 6, at 5:30 p.m

Community Workshop on Route 9 Options

On Monday, March 6, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, the Public Works Department and Land Use Department will make a presentation and invite public comment on options related to the removal of traffic signals on Route 9. The public may also attend virtually on WebEx. The agenda and WebEx meeting information may be found here.

Earth Day Event In Harbor Park:

The Jonah Center is again partnering with Reboot Eco and the City of Middletown to host a community Earth Day Festival in Harbor Park on Saturday, April 22. The event will feature music, speakers, displays by environmental nonprofits, vendors, food trucks, and events for children. Get more information here.

Are Your Recyclables Being Thrown In The Trash?

At least one waste hauler has been caught dumping single-stream recycling into the general trash to save money. Read more here.

Environmental Courses at Wesleyan’s Wasch Center

The public is warmly invited to take advantage of excellent courses offered at the Wasch Center. Some are in-person, some are offered on Zoom. Topics related to the environment include ocean pollution, backyard food sources, metal pollution, and climate change. There are other interesting subjects, too. Check out the current offerings here.

Ratepayers Have A Friend In Power
You may find it hard to comprehend how Eversource is able to get customers to pay certain lobbying and legal appeal expenses. Marissa Gillett, the (relatively) new Chair of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), is shining a light where it has never shined before. Read more here.

Commission Votes to Save Pameacha Pond

At its February 8 meeting, Middletown’s Public Works & Facilities Commission voted unanimously to consider only the repair or replacement of the Pameacha Pond dam. But the exact future of the pond is still undecided. John Hall will speak at the virtual commission meeting on March 8 at 6:30 p.m. Saving the pond means more than restoring the dam. Read more here.

Winter Cleanups To Continue
30 volunteers came out for our winter cleanup work party on February 18, and we hope to have at least one more before spring. If you are not on our list of potential volunteers (pending your availability on a specific date, of course), please use the “contact” tab and send us the words “winter cleanups” along with your email address. We will let you know when the conditions are suitable and a plan is in place.

Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging Update
The Jonah Center thanks all the Citizen Advocates who submitted testimony in support of the Governor’s waste omnibus bill, including the section on extended producer responsibility for packaging. HB 6664 is getting more support than last year's bill, but opposition is also strong. The bill is now in the Environment Committee’s hands, but it's not too late to submit testimony. Reply to this message with the words “waste reduction” if you wish to support this legislation, or click here for more information.