OneManchester

HOMECOMING. The very word conveys warmth and a sense of spirit and tradition. Hoco is especially meaningful in Manchester because in addition to a football game and dance there’s also a parade that always ends on Brookfield Street (and in front of a big crowd). The parade is tomorrow afternoon and the game tomorrow night (against Windsor). Also Halloween is Monday so there'll be lots of candy changing hands.To kids of all ages: Have fun but please, please be careful.

When Mr. Sweetland (left photo) isn't teaching third graders at Buckley School he is illustrating children's books (click here to learn more); on the right, Mrs. Beauregard is reading "When Charlie McButton Lost Power" to her first graders at Waddell School.

• MHS HOMECOMING: This has been Spirit Week at Manchester High and it culminates tomorrow with a Homecoming Parade (the theme is 'MHS Comic-Con') that ends on Brookfield St. followed by a football game vs. Windsor at Memorial Field. Click here for more details.
• INSIDE INFO: In this week's edition of 'The Chirp,' host Connor Ruganis discusses all-things Homecoming with Jack Stokes and Dennis Flores, including opinions on Saturday night's sold-out dance.

• PROJECT GRADUATION: Present this flyer (or show it on your phone) at DQ on Hartford Road on Monday, Nov. 7 between 5 - 7 p.m. and 20% of your purchase will go to the Class of '23. Btw click here to learn about Project Graduation or here for info about their 'Mums the Word' fundraiser. And if you want to get involved contact Jennifer Smyth at b59jsmyt@mpspride.org.
• PJ DAY FOR KIDS: The district's annual initiative to help kids fighting cancer is coming up on Dec. 9. Click here for details about how wearing PJs can raise awareness and make a difference.
• ADULT ED: Manchester Adult & Continuing Education: See video of Dr. Clare-Kearney accepting the John Buckner Leadership Award…register for ELL classes that start Dec 12…learn fun facts about Halloween (like many believe the holiday originated in Ireland)...more STEAM Camp interviews conducted by students and more.

Halloween is Monday but there's a lot going on all week.

Thursday, Oct. 27
12:30 - 2 p.m. -- The Symsbury Witches author discussion and book signing at Manchester Community College.
4-6 p.m. -- Learning and Liberation Lab with guest speaker Dr. Jamila Lyiscott on zoom.
6 p.m. -- The Art of Medicine: Pearls and Insights from your local physician at Manchester Memorial Hospital, 71 Haynes St.
6:30 p.m. -- Diwali Rangoli Painting event at Whiton Memorial Library.
6:30 p.m. -- Potty Training Workshop at Mary Cheney Library.

Friday, Oct. 28
3:15 - 9 p.m. -- Manchester High Homecoming Festivities starting from Purnell Place.

Saturday, Oct. 29
8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. -- MACC Farmers Market (season finale) in the Forest St parking lot.

8 a.m. - 1 p.m. -- Household Hazardous Waste Collection at 321 Olcott St. - online appointments are mandatory this year.
9 - 11:30 a.m. -- Spooktacular Playdate at the Lutz, 247 South Main St.

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Red Cross Blood Drive at Buckland Hills Mall.
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. -- Danny Magic Family Program at Manchester Public Library.

Noon -- Tie Dye event at the Tiny Gallery, Northwest Park.
1 p.m. -- Story Trail walk at the Bush Hill Farm Preserve, 330 Bush Hill Rd.

Sunday, Oct. 30
9 a.m. - 2 p.m. -- Train Show at Elks Club, 30 Bissell St.
9:30 am. - 5 p.m. -- The Wickander - Bare Bones Disc Golf Tournament at Wickham Park.
5 p.m. -- Wickham Park official close of the season.

Tuesday Nov. 1
7 p.m. -- BOD meeting at Lincoln Center.

Wednesday, Nov. 2
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. -- Watercolor workshop with Bivenne Staiger at Manchester Church of Christ, 595 Tolland Tpke.

3:30 p.m. -- R.E.A.D. to a Dog for preschool - grade 4 at Mary Cheney Library.

ALSO:

• Manchester Pipe Band has an open house scheduled for tonight (Oct. 27) and you can learn more here.
• The Downtown Scarecrow Festival runs through Saturday and all the info is here (including registration information).

• Manchester Public Library will host Fall Storytimes at both Mary Cheney and Whiton Memorial. Click here for dates and times.

• Manchester Art Association's annual photography exhibit at Town Hall runs through Jan.4

• In the Heights opens at Cheney Hall on Nov. 4 and runs on the weekends through Nov. 20.

• Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Click the link for details.

• Manchester’s Leaf Collection program is scheduled to begin on Monday, Nov. 14. Click here for details.

• The Little Manchester Road Race and Sports Expo will be held at Manchester High School on Nov. 19.

• The Manchester Road Race is Nov. 24 and online registration is under way. Click for more.

• The 36th annual Ray Crothers Blood Drive will be held at Manchester High School on Nov 25 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• 'Small Business Saturday' will be back on Main St. on Saturday, Nov. 26. Click here for details.

The hyphenation above only makes sense if you are of a certain age or have an eclectic musical background as it's been 50 years (exactly) since the band 'Chicago" made 'Saturday In The Park' a huge hit. Anyway, here's the relevance:

Above are a few of the entries in Manchester Adult & Continuing Ed's second annual Bark in the Park event held last Saturday at Center Memorial Park. Click here for more pics and to vote for your favorite. And also on Saturday, friends of the Manchester Land Conservation Trust walked the historic Cheney Trail from the old depot in the North End to Center Springs Park.

... And it includes a referendum seeking $39 million to build a new library. To read the text of the resolution click here. And click here to view the official ballot that Manchester voters will be given at their respective precincts.

• All 10 polling places will be open from 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. Quickly find your Manchester polling location by using the Polling Lookup Tool.

Manchester Historical Society: Lecture series with Robert Kanehl runs on three consecutive Sundays starting on Oct. 30…History walk on Nov. 12…properties update and a Manchester Herald edition from 90 years ago that offers a glimpse into the hard times of the depression.

Better Manchester Magazine: The latest issue has a cover story on election readiness by James Costa, recreation programming and town updates, plus all six Tiny Podcasts with host Ryan Ward.

As part of the Bicentennial Celebration taking place next year, the Bicentennial Working Group has partnered with the Manchester Youth Commission to award grants up to $5,000 for programming that would be part of the 200th celebration. Click here for more info and here to apply.

The MHS volleyball team celebrated its eight seniors last week then beat Windsor in three sets in front of a large crowd of family and friemds. The Red Hawks finished the regular season with a 12-6 record, will play in the CCC tournament this weekend and have qualified for the state tournament. Senior Night for boys soccer is tonight, girls soccer will be held on Tuesday and football on Nov. 18. Swimming held its senior night earlier this month and you can see pictures from that event on the OneManchesterCT Sports fb page.

ALSO OF NOTE

• The Hartford Shockers 'Jr. Shockers Academy' is up and running on Saturday afternoons from 3 -4 p.m. through February at East Catholic High School. All skill levels welcome. For info contact team owner/head coach Donovin Ford-Hayes @ 860-622-1652.
  
• Park's Taekwondo is offering an after school program with transportation. Click here for more info.

The Manchester Police have lots of nice photos on their Facebook page from the Trick or Treat event that brought a big crowd to Main Street on Saturday. But with Halloween approaching, we again must note that accidental drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in Connecticut so please review and respect the info you'll find here.

• NOTE: OneManchester is compiled by Paul Ofria of 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, anything, that you think people would want to know about, please let us know. Photos, fliers, links, tips, whatever -- please share with Paul at pofria@mpspride.org.