mystic

Mystic Irish Parade 15th Annual — Humongous Success

April 4, 2018 by ResProduction

(l-r) City of Groton Chief of Police Mike Spellman, Lori Potter, Director of Communications, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Jan Miller, Regional Ambassador, Alexis Ann, editor & publisher,
the Resident and Ed Stebbins, Stebbins Buyers & Sellers Realty.

The 15th Annual Mystic Irish Parade stepped off without a hitch from the Mystic Seaport parking lot at 1 pm on Sunday, March 25th. Despite the morning snow the sun shone intermittently on hundreds of floats, thousands of participants and several thousand spectators.
You might say that the Luck of the Irish was certainly in full play as the snow stopped just short of the parade but as Leo Roche, Parade Founder and Foundation President commented that morning with a twinkle in his eyes and broad Irish grin, “How do you like the weather–It doesn’t snow on the biggest Irish parade in the State of Connecticut.” From bagpipers, to high school bands, fire engines—new and old; to military personnel, law enforcement units to politicians, leprechauns, mariners and the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales. They were all marching in high style while proudly displaying their Irish heritage if even in spirit alone.
Grand Marshals for 2018 were Rob and Bob Valenti, Rob walked while Bob rode in his beloved 1975 Chevrolet that Bob purchased brand new and has kept in the same condition ever since it’s purchase. The Grand Marshals were also in for a special treat when Sift Bakery presented them with a five layer chocolate cake decorated with the parades logo signifying 15 years for the parade.
The parade was capped off with the Budweiser Clydesdales stopping at the reviewing stand to deliver a special case of beer to Leo Roche. Leo was also able to climb up and ride the rest of the route back to Mystic Seaport smiling ear to ear while playing with the Dalmatian mascots along the way.
Parade winners will be awarded on April 8th, 3 pm at Harp & Hound in Downtown Mystic. All are invited to join in the celebration and raise a glass or two to the well-deserving winners. In addition to the winners being awarded the parades raffle for a trip to Ireland will also be pulled at 4 pm. It’s not too late to win a trip to Ireland! See www.mysticirishparade.org for more information.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Bob Valenti, Budweiser Clydesdales, irish parade, mystic, Mystic Irish Parade, New England, Rob Valenti

Mystic Scouts Raise Old Glory to Celebrate Flag Day

June 28, 2017 by ResProduction

(l-r) Ken Duenzl, Commander, Mystic VFW Post, Ed Mitchell, Post Chaplain, and Ron Davis, Life Member, led the Pledge of Allegiance on Flag Day after Boy Scouts raised the flag near the Drawbridge in Mystic.

by Karen Koerner

Scouts from Mystic Boy Scout Troop 76 placed American Flags along downtown Mystic Streets, then in a ceremony at 7:45am June 14, raised the large, billowing American Flag at the Mystic Liberty Pole near the drawbridge to celebrate Flag Day.

Guided by Richard Dussault, Flag Captain for the Mystic Flag Committee, scouts also raised the Groton and Stonington flags on the pole’s yardarms. Members of Mystic’s VFW Post 3263 led the group of about 50 people in the Pledge of Allegiance.

“Nice job, boys,” called out a man in a blue GMC pickup truck, stopped at the Liberty Pole driving circle during the ceremony. The flag-raising is an annual event, when the Scouts, community members and members of the Mystic Flag Committee pause to honor the Stars and Stripes, which the Second Continental Congress adopted as the Flag of the United States on June 14, 1777.

One of those looking on was Mystic resident Michael Keenan, who carried with him information about his brother, Joseph Keenan, killed in Korea in 1953. Michael is working to revive his fallen brother’s nomination for a medal of honor. “Patriotism means a lot,” he said, explaining why he was there to see the flag ceremony.

A Wisconsin teacher first proposed celebrating the Flag Birthday in 1885. Other organizations began to observe the day, and President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Flag Day by resolution in 1916. President Harry Truman strengthened the date in 1949 when he signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

Members of the Mystic Flag Committee met for a delicious breakfast at the S&P Oyster Co. following the ceremony. Bob Cushman, Vice President, led the meeting in the absence of John H. Kennedy, President. Bob thanked the scouts for their dedication. “They put up 110 flags along the streets of Mystic on every patriotic holiday,” he noted before presenting a donation to the troop to Rob Bunger, Assistant Scout Master.

“We appreciate the opportunity to do that every year for the community,” Rob responded.

Information about supporting the Mystic Liberty Pole is at www.mysticlibertypole.com.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: flagday, mystic

The Charles Morgan Journey

May 18, 2014 by admin

By Michael Johnson

The Resident

The Charles W. Morgan, a staple of Mystic seaport is the last wooden whale ship in the world. It began it’s 38th voyage on Saturday.

The ship was towed to nearby New London, its first stop of a three-month-long trip to historic ports in New England.

The Morgan was built in 1841. It has been docked at Mystic Seaport since 1941. On Saturday, The Morgan was guided down the Mystic River by a tugboat. See more pictures on our Facebook page. It was then pulled through Fishers Island and up the Thames River to New London, where it will dock at City Pier.

The Morgan will remain in New London until June 7. its next stop will be Newport Rhode Island, and then on to the ships port of origin, New Bedford Massachusetts. The ships journey can be tracked on the mystic seaports website.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: connecticut, mystic, mystic seaport, sailing, seaport, tall ships, wailing

Grace’s Playground Unveiled

May 15, 2014 by admin

(l-r) Adam McOmber and Anthony Sciarretto, Connecticut State Troopers, with the sign dedicating the playground. Both troopers were assigned to support the McDonnell family after the Sandy Hook shootings.

story & photo
by Robert J. O’Shaughnessy

This past April, Mystic was honored to be the site of the Grace McDonnell Playground, part of the Sandy Ground Project: Where Angels Play. Grace was one of the 20 children who lost their lives in Newtown on December 14, 2012. The playground was built as a tribute to her and her love of art and the beach. Grace’s parents, Lynn and Chris, chose Williams Beach behind the Mystic YMCA as the location for the playground as they were engaged in Mystic and Grace loved the beach. Bill Lavin of the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association coordinated the construction of the playground. Bill is the founder of the Sandy Ground Project and for him each of these playgrounds is a labor of love. Each one is built to reflect the personality of the teacher or child for whom it was dedicated.

Grace’s parents, Christopher and Lynn McDonnell, listen to the presentations during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the playground.

One of the unique features of the playgrounds is the addition of a bell. Bill explained that some of the project members loved the line “When a bell rings, an angel gets it wings” from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”. A donated bell was incorporated into each playground.
Bill Lavin was the emcee for the dedication of Grace’s Playground and introduced a number of speakers who welcomed the crowd and thanked the volunteers. Lynn McDonnell thanked everyone involved in the project telling them “Your gifts of love, friendship and strength have lifted our family.” After the ribbon cutting by Grace’s parents and her brother Jack, the playground was open to the many children who were in attendance.
For Information or donations, contact Where Angels Play Foundation at 732.858.1726 or visit www.thesandygroundproject.org.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: children, Grace McDonnell Playground, kids, mystic, Newtown, Playground, Sandy Hook

Charles W. Morgan Begins 38th Voyage

May 7, 2014 by admin

Tallship the Charles W. Morgan

On the weekend of May 17th, the whaling barque CHARLES W. MORGAN will make her first port of call in over seventy years with a stop at New London’s City Pier. This will also mark the first visit by a wooden whaling ship to New London in nearly a century, an event which is part of the MORGAN‘s historic 38th voyage. So historic is this voyage that the United States Coast Guard has designated the required permitting as “an event of national significance.”

When the MORGAN first came to Mystic some 75 years ago, she was set in a berth of gravel, with the quite reasonable expectation that age and decay had relegated her to a role as permanent display. And then a remarkable revelation and a new frame of mind emerged; first, the discovery that the ship could be floated, leading to decades as floating, mostly static, display; then, the restoration of these past five years, and the bold decision to return her to her native element.

The 38th voyage of the MORGAN has planned visits to Newport RI, Nantucket Island, New Bedford and Boston, MA, and points in-between. But the choice of New London, once America’s second most productive whaling port, was made for practical reasons, befitting that history and the working aspects of sailing America’s oldest commercial vessel. The Morgan will be docking in New London for final outfitting, the rigging of spars, bending on of sails, and loading of ballast, operations not possible at her home port of Mystic.

These events, set amidst this voyage of a lifetime, will be held on May 24 and 25, and again on May 31 and June 1st. The Charles W. Morgan will then make several trial sails, to allow her captain and crew to learn the intricacies of handling this revered ship. At the conclusion of her 38th voyage, the Morgan will return to New London, fully rigged this time. This entire process affords a one-time opportunity for today’s children to tell tomorrow’s heirs that, once, they witnessed a wooden whaling ship under sail in New London harbor.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: charles w Morgan, connecticut, mystic, sailing, seaport, tallship