Lightning storms, a show for kids, controversy on the local Board of Education and things to do

Posted By: David Fortier August 13, 2023

Come Sunday morning, the lightning and thunder and pounding rain from Saturday night will be behind us, at least for the time being. For Mary and me, it meant the last few miles of our trek back from another day of babysitting was an event. Driving through the Litchfield hills, horizontal streaks of lightning cut through the dark night sky against a background of its own brightness. This happened repeatedly, until the heavy rains came at about Route 8’s exit 38.

But we made it, and of course, the babysitting is always worth the drive.

With one just passing the year-and-half mark and the other three-and-a-half years, there is plenty of chatter about big trucks, really, for the youngest, big trucks are it, and about pirates for the oldest: “Hoist the masts, mateys,” “Prepare the harpoons.”

The latter of course refers to “Sea Beasts,” a Netflix animated show that features Capt. Crow in his attempt to get revenge from Red Bluster and a ship that encounters other creatures from the deep and royalty that is less than stellar when it comes to trust. There’s Maisie, who befriends Red Bluster (or vice versa), Jacob, Sarah, and a whole cast of engaging characters who add to the exploits of the ship, The Inevitable.

If you are like me, I had no idea.

Live and learn.

***

During the week, TBE has been following developments in the local Republican Party surrounding the endorsement of a controversial candidate for this year’s Board of Education election in November. Two stories following Tuesday’s City Council meeting have gotten plenty of attention on our Facebook page, with over 60 comments and some lively back and forth.

It appears that the conversation over the candidate will continue Monday evening with a meeting requested by Greene-Hills parents that includes the mayor and chair of the Board of Education. My understanding is that the meeting is closed to the public. Here are links to the stories on our website: “City Council gets earful …” and “Council meeting bristles ….” For the comments, you will have to go to our Facebook page: click here.

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Reading and listening this week was hit or miss. “Audacious,” on CT Public Radio is hosted by Chion Wolfe, who brings a sense of wonder and grace to the hour-long show that manages to cover some pretty audacious subjects. Wolfe is a consummate interviewer who always brings out the humanity in every situation.

This week’s show, “‘Tell the world what’s happening’: Uyghur refugees on escaping genocide in China,” features conversations with a woman who was sterilized in a concentration camp after being assaulted, a celebrated Uyghur filmmaker and poet, who in the United States is an Uber driver. It’s not an easy listen.

For reading, I pretty much loaded up my ereader with ebooks from Project Gutenberg. If you haven’t heard of Project Gutenberg, it’s time. The project is one of those that fulfills the promise of the internet in that it brings together people from across the globe to type out books that have entered the public domain.

For instance, I am planning to read more of William James, the American psychologist/philosopher and brother of the novelist Henry James. I go to Project Gutenberg, search books by James. He lived from 1842 to 1910. A bunch of titles appear. Click on his “Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking” or “Talks to Teachers on Psychology; And to Students on Some of Life’s Ideals.” You get a list of different formats. Click and download. Add it to your ereader or read it on your screen. If it is a PDF, you can print it and read it on paper.

***

To look forward to: Sunday afternoon is a peace march beginning at 2 p.m. at the Federal Hill Green and ending at Birge Pond. Next week is the Rockwell Festival featuring over 160 vendors, a new record, that will be Saturday all-day.

Enjoy!

“Come Sunday morning” is intended to be a weekly review, a recounting of the past week and an anticipation of week to come. Among its features will be reviews of old and new books, sharing of favorite podcasts, some family news, Bristol events and happenings and issues surrounding education, work and community journalism. He can be reached at dfortier@bristoledition.org. 

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