Know your Bible? OK, prove it…read more What City near Jerusalem was home to siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus? Need another hint- it was also home to Simon the Leper. The answer is Bethany, the namesake for this town of around 6,000 in Connecticut's New Haven County. In front of Town Hall is this 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on both sides. The marker was dedicated in 1981 and is in very good condition. The blue background is fairly bright with no signs of fading or peeling. The full inscription reads: Bethany In 1738 Amity Parish in New Haven and Milford, including most of present-day Woodbridge and Bethany, was incorporated by the General Assembly of Connecticut Colony. The earliest schoolhouse was built in 1750 in the northern half of Amity Parish. It was located first at Rocky Corner, near the intersection of Meyer and Old Amity Roads. In 1762 the northern part of the Parish was made a distinct ecclesiastical society and was named Bethany for the Biblical village at the foot of the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. In 1832, by act of the General Assembly, Bethany Parish was separated from Woodbridge and incorporated as the Town of Bethany. The Straitsville area was taken in 1844, together with parts of Oxford and Waterbury, to become Naugatuck. In 1871, also as a result of legislative action, the western area became part of Beacon Falls, incorporated as a town with portions added from Oxford, Naugatuck, and Seymour. Some notable examples of architecture dating from the period before incorporation of the town still stand in the vicinity and are attributed to David Hoadley (1774 - 1839) of Waterbury, a self-taught builder-architect who became a leading designer of church buildings in the first decades of the 19th century. His skill in domestic construction is displayed in the Beecher (or Hoadley) House of 1807 with very fine detail both on the exterior and in the central hall and rooms of the interior. Christ Church, Episcopal, dating from 1809, is also from the hand of Hoadley. During its construction, services were held in the upstairs ballroom of the Beecher House. The church is little changed on the outside, but the interior reflects extensive alterations made in accordance with changing taste over the last one hundred years. Regarded as the high point of Hoadley's achievement is United (North) Church of 1814 on the New Haven Green. Erected by the Town of Bethany and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1981 157 CT towns done, 13 to go

So quiet that time seems to stand still while you are here. You can smell the old wood in the…read moremedical history room. Very conducive to studying for long hours without feeling spent.

This library, like the medical school building that houses it, is full of hidden pockets and…read moreinteresting spaces. There are sections devoted to varying levels of quietness, but most of the library is blanketed in a no-speaking-unless-necessary zone. Silence your phone and avoid noisy snacks (the library has a no-food rule, but there is a Keurig machine in the entrance you can use for a fee)! If you want to do group work/feel less self conscious about making noise, there are 3 group study rooms one level down. These can be reserved ahead of time, and two of them have whiteboards! The Morse Periodical Room is a well-lit "ultra quiet zone" that is perfect for when you need to buckle down and focus on a project. The Historical Library Reading Room is where to go when you want to feel like you're in the library from Disney's Beauty and the Beast/an old-fashioned library. The Cushing Room in the lowest level is a fun place to bring visitors/check out jars of brains/pictures of people with different . Not somewhere that I would want to study in for hours, but definitely a place to check out. The information room is lovely during the day, but once the sunlight fades it gets pretty dim. There are lots of computers and macs, and you can print here if you have an account. If you like to explore, this library is full of little nooks where you can find a study space that suits your taste. Take the time to walk around before you pick a spot! Main complaint: closes at midnight. Guards will go around kicking people out at this time. There's a warning bell at 11:45pm.

It is hard to believe that almost 10 years ago in June of 2012 I witnessed Governor Malloy…read morecommemorate the opening of the magnificent new Pearl Harbor bridge. Before that it was referred to as the Q Bridge. It was absolutely exhilarating to be able to walk across the bridge and see the beautiful workmanship that went into it. There was a large crowd, music playing, food, vendors, and even a sailboat on the bridge for a photo opportunity. It was a spectacular time as I walked from New Haven to East Haven and back to New Haven.It was truly one of those experiences that you will never forget. The only thing that was missing that day was the ability to see the bridge lit up in a variety of colors. I look forward to driving over the bridge at night especially on holidays. I still think of that very special day every time I cross the bridge in a car.

The Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge carries I-95 over the Quinnipiac River and was completed between…read more2005 and 2015. It has five lanes in each direction as one might expect for such a busy highway. It replaces the original bridge going back to 1958. It's pretty considering the boring girder bridge base but also incorporates some cable-stayed elements. Other completely cable-stayed are more attractive. But it gets you across the river so I'm pleased. [Review 18672 overall - 87 in Connecticut - 2194 of 2022.]

What a great library in a rural area. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. They…read morehave a wide range of materials and if you can't find what you're looking for, they can order it for you. The place was very clean and well organized. It also has a great children's section upstairs.

For a town of its size, the collection and facilities of the public library in Woodbridge are…read moredecent. However, it clearly trails other local libraries in certain areas. Most prominently, other libraries get new books and DVDs out into circulation MUCH faster than Woodbridge. Other libraries seem to get stuff out on street date (the day it would go on sale at retail) - at Woodbridge, it almost always takes a week or two of sitting in "Tech Services" before anything goes out. When I brought this to the attention of the previous Director, she merely gave me a list of flimsy excuses. It was pretty sad, as the fact remains every other library is serving their users more efficiently. The underlying problem is that though the librarians here are fairly pleasant, there's virtually no turnover, and therefore nothing encouraging anyone to work smarter, harder, faster, etc. In addition to everything working slowly, I've noted that the librarians rarely collect late fees, especially from the older patrons - they usually say something like "you have a late fee of x, but don't worry about it if you don't have it today". What's the possible justification for not collecting late fees? To make it worse, I've on several occasions seen librarians inform a patron that they have an overdue item, and the patron say "oh, I returned that". And the librarian accepts this claim at face value, and tells the patron not to worry! I witnessed this just the other day. This encourages awful behavior and punishes the rest of us who go to pains to respect the library's collection, return items on time, pay late fees, etc.

"Make Us Free" I…read morelearned about the Amistad story from Steven Spielberg's 1997 movie. In 1839, a Spanish slave ship called La Amistad was carrying African slaves to Cuba. Under the leadership of Joseph Cinque (the central figure of the Amistad story), there was a prison break on the ship and two of the Spanish crew were killed. The ship ended up in New Haven, CT where a Supreme Court trial took place to decide the destiny of the slaves. Were they Spanish property? Were they free men? Were they criminals? What exactly were they? You will find this powerful memorial in front of the New Haven City Hall. It's a striking three sided sculpture with a trio of sculpted panels depicting Sengbe Pieh, also known as Joseph Cinque. Each panel shows him at different stages in his life -as a free African, as a defendant in the Supreme Court trial, and as a free man ready to return to Africa. The gorgeous sculptures of Cinque are 9 feet tall, resting on a 2 foot granite base. The three-sided base contains a large inscription that tells the story. The full inscription reads: Make Us Free This monument is a memorial to the 1839 Amistad Revolt and its leader, Sengbe Pieh, also known as Joseph Cinque. Sengbe Pieh was one of the millions of Africans kidnapped from their homes and transported in bondage to the Americas. Sold into slavery in Cuba, he and forty-eight other men, and four children were bound aboard the schooner La Amistad. During a storm, Sengbe Pieh successfully freed himself and his fellows. The Africans seized the ship, but their offers to steer La Amistad homeward were thwarted. After futile weeks at sea, they were captured off Long Island by the U.S.S. Washington. On this site, the Amistad Africans were jailed awaiting trial for piracy and murder. To aid their struggle for freedom, the Amistad Committee formed, counting in its number ministers Simeon Jocelyn, Joshua Leavitt, and James Pennington; merchant Lewis Tappan; professor Josiah Gibbs; and lawyer Roger Baldwin. The Africans were tried twice prior to their ultimate triumph before the United States Supreme Court, where former President John Quincy Adams courageously defended them. Sengbe Pieh and his fellows were declared Free Persons. The Africans sought to return home. To raise funds for their voyage and to further the anti-slavery cause, they engaged in a series of speaking tours. In 1841, after a sojourn that profoundly influenced the abolitionist movement, they set sail, free at last. To commemorate the heroism of the Amistad Africans and those who shared in their quest for freedom, the 1989 Amistad Committee commissioned his sculpture by Ed Hamilton and dedicated it on September 26, 1992. Erected 1992 by the 1989 Amistad Committee One of the best movie courtroom scenes I have ever seen has the great Anthony Hopkins as an elderly John Quincy Adams arguing for the freedom of the slaves before the US Supreme Court. If this doesn't give you goose bumps, go check to see if you are breathing. Check this out.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZFr4VLPW9Q

The Amistad memorial has been on my list for some time. It commemorates the fight to establish the…read morefreedom of those slaves who took control of the slave ship The Amistad. After two trials, it was announced that they were in fact Freemen and allowed to return to their homes in Africa. It is a cornerstone in the abolitionist movement, and crucial case to abolishment of slavery in the USA.

The Killingworth Library is probably the smallest library I've been in but it is still a friendly,…read moreorganized, and comfortable atmosphere. I have a long and active reading list and am always on the lookout for large printed versions of the books on my list. Finding the large print sections of libraries has always been difficult for me, I absolutely never find the large print section on my own. The librarian at Killingworth library was very forgiving of my directional difficulties and helped me find the section. When I was ready to check my book out the librarian noticed the novel I had selected was on their current reading list and gave me a copy. That was really nice of her, I found some other books to add to my list and I will read them in the future as well. I will happily visit Killingworth Library again if they have any more books on my list.

Through these doors, lie…read moremany worlds The Killingworth Library is one of the newer ones in the area, only opening it's doors in 1995. It was quite a circuitous path to this present building and the first idea of a library in Killingworth started back in 1964. In that year about 1,000 books were donated by local individuals and nearby libraries and the first Killingworth Library was started. Of course the books didn't really have a home of their own and were just kind of shoved into a local elementary school. After a while the books were moved into a town office and then an empty fire house. It wasn't until 1995 that the town purchased an old bank, fixed it up and the very first permanent library was opened. The building is quite charming and quaint and none of the former bank can be seen. The library certainly isn't large but is extremely homey and comfy. Since it is new it has all the latest libraries amenities but still has a very local feel. Lots of events take place in the library and a cool display case shows art, crafts and other things of local interest. This is a very pleasant and useful library that looks and feels like it's been serving the town of Killingworth forever.

Lisa at the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce is highly skilled at helping business expand in the…read morecommunity. She has been instrumental in helping our business link with other businesses. People are finding out about our services because of the Chamber of Commerce. We recommend joining and being part of this community of productive business owners. The staff at the Chamber of Commerce are excellent. Thanks for all your help!

On September 11, 2001, 20 women and 5 men serving as flight attendants perished in the line of…read moreduty. Dianne Bullis Snyder, born in Madison, CT, was one of them. She died when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. This memorial, located in the Town Green of her home town, honors her memory with a simple plaque that reads: "In loving memory for the life of Dianne Bullis Snyder, Flight Attendant American Airlines Flight 11, Sept 11, 2001-February 12, 1959-September 11, 2001. To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is not to die." I found it beautifully heartbreaking in its simplicity.