Psychiatric Nurses to Bring Annual Convention to Hartford in 2016

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association 30^th Annual Conference will take place next October at the Connecticut Convention Center.  It is the first time that the organization will hold its annual event in Connecticut.  This year’s program was held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Florida, where attendees had the opportunity to earn up to 29.5 continuing education contact hours onsite and an additional 100 plus contact hours online afterwards.  The 2016 APNA Annual Conference will be held October 19-22 in Hartford.  The APNA Annual Conference delivers more than 100 varied educational sessions and invaluable networking opportunities to the more than a thousand psychiatric-mental health RNs and APRNs who attend each year. The organization has more than 10,000 members nationwide.

Last month, the APNA joined a White House initiative to address the ongoing epidemic of prescription drug abuse and heroin use across the nation. With organizations from both the public and private sectors participating, the effort seeks to train health care providers, improve access to treatment, and raise awareness of the risks of prescription drug misuse.

Approximately 2.3 million US citizens aged 12 and older have opioid use disorder, and most states have higher rates of treatment need than capacity to treat. In this context, educating health professionals and encouraging them to apply best-treatment practices is critical to improve the health of the nation. APNA is one of 8 nursing groups to pledge to be a part of the solution over the next two years.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) was founded in 1986. In the ensuing 28 years, APNA has grown to be the largest professional membership organization committed to the specialty practice of psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nursing and wellness promotion, prevention of mental health problems, and the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric disorders.

The APNA Annual Conference is held in a new location every year to encourage regional participation, add adventure, and provide a venue to connect with other psychiatric-mental health nurse professionals from across the globe, officials point out.

Plans for the convention in Connecticut include programs designed to “advance the profession through networking and education” and opportunities to “celebrate psychiatric-mental health nurses’ outstanding contributions” through the presentation of the APNA Annual Awards.

In Florida last month, more than 1,800 attendees were on hand for a program “packed with psychiatric-mental networking, updates, and continuing education targeted to psychiatric-mental health nurses.” Session recordings from the Annual Conferences are made available in the APNA eLearning Center in podcast form, along with up-to-date session slides and other relevant materials.

APNA is the only PMH nursing organization whose membership is inclusive of all PMH registered nurses (RN) including associate degree (ADN), baccalaureate (BSN), and advanced practice (APN) comprised of clinical nurse specialists (CNS), psychiatric nurse practitioners (NP), and nurse scientists and academicians (PhD). The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

The Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (JAPNA), with more than 10,000 subscribers, provides quality, up-to-date information to promote PMH nursing, improve mental health care for culturally diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities, as well as shape health care policy for the delivery of mental health services.

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Wanna Buy A Ghost Town? Connecticut Has One Ready and Waiting

For $2.4 million, an adventurous buyer can become the proud owner of Johnsonville Village, Connecticut. The once bustling hamlet, now a virtual ghost town, is for sale -- again. Originally home to Connecticut’s twine industry in the 1830s, Johnsonville Village, which is located in the Moodus section of East Haddam, along Johnsonville Road just 30 minutes from Hartford and two hours from Boston and New York City, has sat mostly deserted since the Industrial Revolution put it out of business, according to Governing magazine.

Industrialist Raymond Schmitt bought the property in the 1960s and began traveling New England looking for period buildings in an effort to turn the place into an 18th-century Victorian village, Governing reported. Today, its 62 acres house eight antique buildings, including a schoolhouse, general store, chapel and livery stable. All empty, and awaiting what’s next.

Johnsonville never took off as a tourist attraction, and after a disagreement with local officials, Schmitt abandoned the village in 1994.  It has had its moments, according to published reports.  Lightning struck the mill in the 1970s and burned it down. The village appeared in Billy Joel's music video for the 1993 song "The River of Dreams (In the Middle of the Night)," which topped Billboard’s music charts are received four Grammy nominations, according to Wikipedia.

The current owner, Meyer Jabara Hotels of Danbury, initially put the town up for auction last October. It sold for $1.9 million, but the winning bidder was unable to secure financing.

Now Johnsonville is back on the market, and according to the listing earlier this year, “presents a unique redevelopment opportunity to combine the historic value of the 19th-century village with 21st-century living.”

"We've got buyers at the table, from developers to summer camps and beyond," the current owners told The Hartford Courant earlier this year.  But a sale and closing has yet to be announced.  The property has eight historic buildings on the western side of Johnsonville Road and, on the eastern side of the road, Johnsonville Mill Pond with a covered bridge, a wooden dam and a waterfall.

Interested parties run the gamut from individual investors to outdoor organizations and religiously affiliated summer camps. There was also an effort by “a bunch of people on Twitter, led by a man named Dan Sinker, trying to pool their money and buy Johnsonville,” according to a report published by Business Insider. The film industry, utility companies, local vineyards and hotel companies are thought to be among the possible buyers.

But not yet.

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New CT Consumer Confidence Survey Shows More Residents Likely to Stay, Although Outlook Relatively Unchanged

Fewer Connecticut residents now expect to move out of the state in the next five years, according to the results of the 2015 Connecticut Consumer Confidence Survey released today by InformCT, covering the second quarter of the calendar year. In the first quarter, the percentages were even, with 39 percent saying it was likely they’d move from the state during the next five years and the same percentage saying a move out of state was unlikely.  In the new survey, 32 percent said it is likely they will move out of state in the next five years, a slight drop, while the percentage who say it is unlikely has grown to 43 percent.

Overall, Connecticut residents’ confidence in the state’s economy and their personal financial prospects are nudging along tentatively and unevenly, but relatively unchanged in the year’s second quarter compared with the first few months of the year.

Results of the Q2 Survey (April-June 2015) tend to reinforce what was found in Q1 (January-March).  Consumers see little change in what is perceived as a sluggish economy and do not envision any change in the next 6 months. This is also reflected in their attitudes toward the job market, with 6 in 10 feeling that there are insufficient jobs for the available workforce.

Regarding personal finances, slightly fewer state residents felt they were better off today than six months ago, but slightly more felt they would be better off six months from now.  A plurality, however, felt that their personal finances were about the same as six months ago, and were unlikely to change in the next six months.

Inform CT is a public-private partnership that provides independent, non-partisan research, analysis, and public outreach to help create fact-based dialogue and action in Connecticut.  The survey is designed to generate an ongoing measure of consumer confidence in the Connecticut economy.  The survey also found that:

• Fairfield County residents are the most likely (32%) to think that business conditions are better.
• Residents of Litchfield (36%) and Windham (34%) counties are the most likely to feel that jobs are very hard to get.
• Residents of Tolland County (38%) are the most likely to feel that they are better off.

Concerns that survey respondents “job may be in jeopardy” dropped slightly from the first to second quarter, as did concerns “about being able to afford health insurance.”  However, slightly fewer people felt they had “enough to retire comfortably,” or that the state’s economy was improving.  On the question of whether Connecticut is a “good place to live and raise a family,” for the second consecutive quarter, the split was 50-50.  As income increases, respondents are more likely to agree that Connecticut is a good place to live and raise a family, the survey results showed.

The survey is being administered for InformCT by the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, Inc.(CERC) and Shelton-based Smith & Company. The analysis, which is based on the responses of 400 randomly selected Connecticut residents (roughly 50 per county), addresses key economic issues such as overall confidence, reactions to housing prices, upscale consumer purchases, leisure spending and current investments. InformCT is a public-private partnership that currently includes staff from CERC and the Connecticut Data Collaborative.

The results also indicated that women (78%) are significantly more likely than men (52%) to indicate that they are likely to move out of Connecticut, and respondents with household incomes of $50,000 or less are significantly more likely to indicate that they will move out of Connecticut, according to survey officials.

More than 60 percent of state residents said they plan to take a vacation outside Connecticut (22% very likely, 39% somewhat likely) and 44 percent said they planned to vacation in Connecticut (26% very likely, 18 percent somewhat likely).  The most likely vacation location appears to be state parks, with 43 percent indicating that such a visit was likely in the next six months.  Forty-one percent planned to visit a casino, outdistancing visits planned to aquariums (27%), the Connecticut Science Center (13%) and other state attractions.

Regarding plans for major purchases in the next six months, often considered a harbinger of economic strength, 28 percent said they planned to make a “major consumer expenditure,” 22 percent anticipated purchasing a new car, and 15 percent said they were planning to refinance or purchase a new home. 

CERC, based in Rocky Hill, is a nonprofit corporation and public-private partnership that provides economic development services consistent with state strategies, leveraging Connecticut’s unique advantages as a premier business location. Smith & Company LLC is a market research firm.  More information about the survey, and subscribing, can be found at www.informct.org.

“This research provides a measure of the strength of our economy as well as a gauge of select economic factors,” stated Alissa DeJonge, Vice President of Research at CERC.  “It is a valuable and cost-effective strategic planning tool for any company or organization that wishes to take the temperature of the Connecticut consumer.”

“Whether you are a financial services institution, health care provider, insurer, developer, utility, trade association, or advertiser, those who wish to subscribe to this regular information can add proprietary questions for their own purposes,” added Stephen A. Smith, President of Smith & Company.

Sol LeWitt Designed Synagogue Is Focus of World Premiere Documentary in Madison

Complete with a red carpet, the Madison Art Cinemas will host the June 14 world premiere of the documentary We Built This House, a one-hour film telling the story of Chester synagogue Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek—known as a global art landmark for being the only public building that acclaimed artist and Connecticut native Sol LeWitt ever designed. Film producer-director Jon Joslow, a lifetime member of the congregation, will discuss the movie and a reception will follow the screening. Tickets are open to the public and may be obtained for a donation of $18 each through the synagogue office, 860 526 8920. The showing begins at 11:00 am, and organizers have offered that “paparazzi are welcome.” Joslow is a crisis/transition leader for private equity who spent a year researching the history of the congregation and its building.

In a 2013 profile, Town & Country’s arts editor compared the striking Chester sanctuary with a masterpiece chapel Henri Matisse created in Nice, France. But the synagogue, opened in 2001, started as a napkin sketch, organizers of the project say. LeWitt first drew a structure inspired by traditional wooden temples of Eastern Europe combined with elements of colonial New England barns.

We Built This House traces how architect Stephen Lloyd translated LeWitt’s vision into post and beam, and how the Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek community collaborated and improvised—even adapting a design discovered in a medieval English watermill—to give structure to the sanctuary’s wooden dome. LeWitt’s iconic installation on the ark drew national attention when the building opened; it prompted Town & Country to observe “modern art as [the sanctuary’s] focal point.”

LeWitt, a Chester resident who died at age 78 in 2007, is recognized as one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century.  His work is prominently featured in venues worldwide, including at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford.  A retrospective of his work is featured at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, through 2033.

The sanctuary has become known as one of the most astonishing, and spiritually welcoming, religious spaces in the world.  True to its roots, the Chester synagogue has become one of the shoreline’s most vital cultural centers.

Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek—Hebrew for “House of Peace Pursuing Justice”—is marking the 100th year since the founding of one of its two predecessor temples in Moodus. We Built This House is part of yearlong centennial celebrations culminating in an October 3 gala and the inaugural presentation of the synagogue’s new annual Pursuer of Peace and Justice Award. Though it is located in Chester, temple members come from 36 towns, from West Hartford to Westbrook, Norwich to North Branford.

Given the film’s unique insights into art as architecture, and into how a community can join together in creative enterprise, organizers anticipate interest among public television stations, those engaged in architectural and design collaborations, and art museums, in airing it following the premiere.  DVDs of are expected to be released later this year.

The Madison Art Cinemas is located at 761 Boston Post Road in Madison. For more information on We Built This House or Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek, visit www.cbsrz.org or www.ancientandcool.com.

Agencies, Organizations to be Honored for Efforts Advancing Local Downtowns

A high school AP economics class that engages students in proactive land-use planning, the owners of a downtown Segway tour company that let the community help name their new business, and the state’s Department of Transportation are among the organizations and initiatives chosen to receive a 2015 Award of Excellence from the Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC). Seven recipients were selected for the prestigious award, representing initiatives in Mansfield, New London, Putnam, Simsbury, Waterbury, and Upper Albany in Hartford.

The other winning entries included a First Fridays series that draws thousands of visitors with its hands-on arts and cultural events; a massive, multi-cultural downtown gathering of dozens of ethnic groups to celebrate a common community pride; a multi-year, multi-million dollar public/private partnership to design and build a brand-new town center; and a local merchant who remains committed to the neighborhood and the state despite becoming an international success.

For the first time in the history of the awards program, a state agency was also selected to receive an award. The CT Department of Transportation received a special award for Starting a Revolution: Integration of Land Use and Transit in recognition of the progressive nature of CTfastrak, the bus rapid transit system opened earlier this year. The awards jury that selected the winners gave the award because they felt the new busway represents a cultural shift in how Connecticut views transit, and wanted to acknowledge the future promise of transit oriented development that will hopefully result around the station locations.

The Connecticut Main Street Awards annually celebrate and communicate the most successful and innovative efforts in Main Street revitalization in Connecticut. A jury comprised of industry-related professionals and CMSC staff judged the submissions on criteria that included innovation, replication, representation, partnerships utilized, and outcomes.

"Our members continue to impress us with how they support, encourage and implement new ideas from the ground up," said CMSC President & CEO John Simone. "They're constantly forming partnerships with new groups, working to sustain local merchants, and tirelessly promoting how wonderful our downtowns and Main Streets are. We're proud of their efforts and excited to share their achievements with everyone else."

The awards will be presented at the 2015 Connecticut Main Street Awards Gala on June 8th at Trinity-on-Main in downtown New Britain. This year's event will feature guided tours of downtown New Britain, including a Downtown Arts, Heritage & Culture tour, a tour of Walnut Hill Rose Garden & New Britain Museum of American Art, and a tour of CTfastrak in New Britain: Transportation, Housing & Main Street.

The full list of 2015 Awards of Excellence winners:

2015 Connecticut Main Street Awards of Excellence                 

Main Street Partnership

▪   Simsbury High School AP Economics Course, to Simsbury Main Street Partnership and Simsbury High School.

Planning

▪   Step by Step: Building a Downtown from Scratch (Storrs Center), to Mansfield Downtown Partnership, the Town of Mansfield, UConn, LeylandAlliance and the Citizens of Mansfield. (photo, above right)

Events & Programming  (Sponsored by Webster Bank)

▪    The Gathering (Downtown Waterbury), to the City of Waterbury, the Waterbury Observer, and Main Street Waterbury.

Award of Merit for Events & Programming

▪   First Fridays (Downtown Putnam), to the Town of Putnam, Putnam Business Association, and the Putnam Arts Council.

Business Owner of the Year

▪   Dawn & Kristin Harkness / Wheeling City Tours (New London), Submitted by New London Main Street.

2015 Main Street Pioneer: Outstanding Commitment to The Avenue  (Sponsored by Webster Bank)

▪    Vivian Akuoko / Evay Cosmetics (Upper Albany Avenue, Hartford), Submitted by Upper Albany Main Street.

Starting a Revolution: Integration of Land Use and Transit

▪   CTfastrak, to the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG).

The Connecticut Main Street Awards of Excellence were created in 2003 to recognize outstanding projects, individuals and partnerships in community efforts to bring traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts back to life, socially and economically.  In recent years, the Awards Gala has been held in New Haven, Hartford, Manchester, Torrington and Bridgeport.

State Tourism Front and Center in Connecticut with Conference, Television Ads

Connecticut may be facing tough budgetary decisions, but unlike a handful of years ago when tourism promotional efforts were virtually eliminated in the midst of a recession, the state’s tourism initiatives are gaining renewed attention. The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), Office of Tourism will host a 2015 statewide tourism conference for industry professionals in the state’s leisure, hospitality and tourism sector on May 12.  The all-day Connecticut Governor’s Conference on Tourism will run from 8 am to 4 pm at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

The goal of the conference is to bring together professionals from every aspect of Connecticut’s tourism industry — including hotels, restaurants, casinos, tourist attractions, entertainment venues, historic sites, and cultural and arts institutions — to share best practices and learn from national tourism and travel experts.  The statewide conference is managed by the DECD Connecticut Office of Tourism in partnership with the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau.

This day-long industry conference will feature speakers presenting the latest research and best practices, sessions for industry professionals, an overview of the state’s higher education resources,  a focus on New York City meeting planners, experts on capturing a share of the international tourist market, ways to maximize use of social media, Tourism Awards for outstanding industry leaders, and an array of workshops on areas including mobile marketing and group bus tours, as well as an exhibition of the most innovative products and services in the tourism sector, according to state officials. Cost for the conference is $99, for industry professionals.

In addition, the conference will feature a special report on the results of the state’s still revolutionary campaign over the last three years. The keynote speaker will be Peter Yesawich of MMGY Global, a travel marketing expert who will share research-driven insights about the very latest trends in the travel industry and how they can affect Connecticut’s tourism efforts.

Traveler spending of $8.3 billion generated $14 billion in economic activity statewide in 2013, according to a study released recently by the office of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.  The study shows funds generated directly, through traveler spending, or indirectly, as employees, businesses and other beneficiaries turned around and paid for goods and services. Travelers to Connecticut destinations spent 3.0% more in 2013 than in 2012.  Of all Connecticut travelers in 2013, nearly two-thirds were day travelers (66%). The tourism sector supported more than 118,500 jobs in 2013, according to a recent state report.

The state’s tourism efforts are also quite visible on television, with a series of promotional commercials highlighting various attractions in the state.  Standard Directors, a Greenwich-based live action production company, is producing a series of six on-air commercials for the Connecticut Office of Tourism, working in conjunction with Avon ad agency Adams & Knight.

The campaign features six spots across the state that highlight Connecticut’s small towns, parks, beaches, vineyards and sightseeing attractions. Standard Directors was founded in 2013 and creates commercials for local, state and national companies and agencies. Among the attractions featured in the commercials are Silverman’s Farm in Easton, Mystic Aquarium, Craig Castle in Meriden and Hartford Stage.

“This campaign is entirely location driven, pairing two locations in the state that can be visited in one day, without having to travel too far, by families, couples and friends,” said Brian Bennhoff, partner and executive producer, Standard Directors, and a New Canaan resident. “We spent a lot of time … selecting beautiful locations that represent the state.”  Philip McIntyre, a Greenwich resident and partner in Standard Directors, said the majority of the 20-plus person crew were local hires and all 19 actors were local talent. Editing, he said, was done both at Standard Directors’ office on West Putnam Avenue and at Palace Production Center in South Norwalk, according to the Fairfield Business Journal.

Lead sponsors for the Tourism Conference on May 12 include Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Waterford Hotel Group and the Connecticut Convention Center.

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Hartford, Bridgeport Turn to Splashy Websites, Slogans to Promote Cities

Connecticut’s major cities have dual personalities on the internet – one aimed primarily at city residents, the other at potential visitors and prospective residents.  While one site is chock full of detailed information that is the lifeline for locals – with listings of city agencies, services, and department contacts – the other is dominated by splashy photographs, engaging messages, and enticing activities. Such is the marketing of urban cores in the age of the internet, mobile technology and social media – with an eye towards economic development and young professionals seeking an urban address.

In Hartford, the government site is www.hartford.gov and the event-laden site is www.hartford.com   The marketing site currently features a photo of the National Champion UConn Huskies basketball team, which fills the entire home page, save for links to Upcoming Events and Restaurants & Bars.  The menu includes Things to Do, Places to Go, and Everything Else (such as a category named Awesome Things).  The theme Hartford Has It, the city’s tagline, appears on both sites.

The www.hartford.gov site is led by an announcement of road closures in the city due to construction, and features links to government agencies, business services and visitors information, and police.  Hartford history highlights and facts about the city are included, along with a heading called “residents,” which includes a directory of city services, public health, public safety, family services and a link to “Pay Your Taxes.”

In Bridgeport, the city services site is  www.bridgeportct.gov but most of the advertising, including a full-page ad in the latest issue of the Fairfield County Business Journal, is for www.bridgeportbettereveryday.com   The site, which features the headline “Park City” above “bridgeport, ct” highlights livability, green Bridgeport, schools, parks and jobs & economy.  The theme of the site, “Bridgeport is getting better every day,” is reflected in the site’s URL, and the text featured on the home page:

“Bridgeport is a city on the way up. We've got a lot of work to do, but we're investing in the future, making our city a place where our kids and grandkids will choose to live, work and raise their families. We're improving the city by building schools, re-opening parks, making downtown more vibrant, and developing the waterfront. And by investing in cleaner energy, we're creating better jobs and our kids will breathe cleaner air. Bridgeport is getting better every day.”

Individual can sign up for emails from the city in order to “Be the first to know about the ways Bridgeport is getting better every day.”  Material on the site is copyrighted by the City of Bridgeport.

The site points out that:

• Bridgeport is becoming one of America’s greenest cities.
• We’ve got a long way to go, but schools in Bridgeport are getting better every day.
• Bridgeport’s been known as “Park City” for well over a century. And for good reason.
• Bridgeport is a great place to live for families, young professionals, seniors, and everyone in between.

In New Haven, the city government website, www.cityofnewhaven.com, includes a home page message from Mayor Toni Harp, and an array of links to various city services.  Although not produced by the city, the websites www.infonewhaven.com and www.visitnewhaven.com offer information, events, and entertainment information about the city.

Museum Store Association Brings National Conference to Hartford; Wadsworth Atheneum Is Award Finalist

The Wadsworth Atheneum’s Museum Store is one of five nominees for the 2015 Museum Store Association (MSA) Visual Merchandising award, which recognizes excellence in visual merchandising by a museum institution. The award will be given on Sunday, April 19 in Hartford – on the final day of the Museum Store Association’s national conference, being held this weekend at the Connecticut Convention Center. Nominations were evaluated based on creative use of resources, collaboration and how well the display extends the museum experience.  The other finalists are the Columbia River Maritime Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Eastern National and Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

The 2015 MSA Retail Conference & Expo, organizers point out, is designed to help nonprofit retail professionals succeed by offering dynamic learning sessions and opportunities to connect with select MSA vendors who offer products matched with the museum store industry.

In Hartford for the annual conference are approximately 300 museum store professionals and more than 200 select vendors who offer products and services for nonprofit and independent retailers. When the conference location in Hartford was announced 15 months ago, it was expected to bring in 900 participants downtown utilizing an estimated 1,130 room nights, according to organizers.

Learning sessions throughout the conference are presented by “the leading thinkers in nonprofit retailing who share the knowledge you need to run your store, meet the needs of management, make the most out of challenges, be a leader and through retailing contribute to your institution’s brand and extend the experience of your visitors.”

It is the first time the national conference is being hosted in Hartford.  In recent years host cities have been Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Chicago.  The national meeting also includes a “retail boot camp” and a tour of the Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford.

The outstanding line-up of speakers includes Roderick Buchanan, the director of buying and retail sales at the British Museum Company, where he has overseen the redevelopment of the stores, products and customer service culture and increased profits four-fold since 2008.  Buchanan will deliver the conference opening keynote on Saturday morning.  The closing keynote speaker on Sunday will be Dick Durrance, described as one of the most versatile photographers of his generation. His well-known portfolio includes images from Vietnam combat, National Geographic stories, global advertising campaigns, National Parks and the world’s great golf courses.

Sessions for industry attendees include Open To Buy Workshop, Retail Boot Camp, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Retailers, Sales Guaranteed: The Only Four Things You Need to Know to Improve Museum Store Sales, Perspectives On Fair Trade, 29 Tech Tools to Create Cool Content for Social Media, Looking at Business Through Your Customers’ Eyes and eCommerce A to Z: Selling the Museum Experience Online.

In addition to the Wadsworth Atheneum, other MSA member institutions in the area include the Connecticut Historical Society Museum & Library, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, New Britain Museum of American Art and Friends of Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum. Manager of the Museum Shop at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Stacey Stachow, is immediate past MSA Board President.

“Retailers often find themselves doing a balancing act every day, performing a variety of functions and responsibilities,” said Jama Rice, MSA Executive Director/CEO. “They balance inventory control, staffing, merchandising, displays, financial management, marketing and even event planning, and at the same time they must stay apprised of all that’s happening at their institutions and stores. The 2015 Conference & Expo will provide tools to help balance the balancing act.”

Now in its 60th year, the Museum Store Association is a nonprofit, international association dedicated to advancing the success of nonprofit retail professionals in extending the brand and contributing to the bottom lines of their institutions. MSA serves over 1,500 members in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Asia and Europe.

Will Olympic Footprint Extend into Connecticut? State Officials Offer Possibilities to Planners; April 2 Public Forum in Springfield

Should Boston be selected in 2017 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2024 Olympic Summer Games, Massachusetts may not be the only northeast city to host Olympic events. Published reports indicate that venues outside the Bay State are being actively considered, and Connecticut’s Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) is among the organizations reaching out to express interest.  Network coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games would come from NBC Sports - which has facilities based in Stamford, Connecticut - under an agreement between the network and the IOC signed last year.  

The official Boston 2024 website indicates that “there may be opportunities for preliminary rounds of certain events in other states.” The Boston Globe has reported that bid organizers have “held high-level conversations” with cities in addition to Boston about hosting events, including New York and Washington.  There are no indications that talks with Connecticut officials are underway.

Connecticut officials – and residents – may have an opportunity to weigh in when Boston 2024 holds a community meeting in Springfield, MA, on April 2 - one of 20 such sessions being held around the state of Massachusetts over the next few months, and the nearest location to Connecticut.  The community meetings begin in Lowell on March 11.  There does not appear to be a requirement that speakers be Massachusetts residents.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo told the Associated Press earlier this month that she has spoken with Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker about collaborating and plans to put together her own team to explore how Rhode Island could benefit from Boston's bid.

CRDA, in a January letter to Boston 2024 officials, suggested that a number of Connecticut facilities “could serve for official events, whether preliminary or final; or for practice sites for teams and individuals competing in the Games.”  State officials suggested the Connecticut Convention Center and XL Center in Hartford, Rentschler Field in East Hartford, and the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven as facilities that could be considered by leaders of the Boston 2024 bid “as you advance your thinking and planning.”

The Globe recently reported that “by following the IOC’s guidelines and taking advantage of existing world-class facilities in other cities, Boston 2024 organizers believe they can avoid the white elephant venues and out-of-control costs that have plagued Olympic hosts for decades.”  Recently adopted IOC guidelines are aimed at reducing costs by host cities and are more amenable to having some events take place outside the immediate Olympic perimeter.

The Globe pointed out that at the most recent Summer Games in London, sailing was held 142 miles southwest of the host city and organizers staged mountain biking an hour’s drive from London. Soccer matches took place at stadiums in several cities, including Cardiff, Coventry, Glasgow, Manchester, and Newcastle, prior to finals in London.

The correspondence from CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth includes information about each of the Connecticut venues, and an invitation to “visit the facilities to assess them as a means to meet the demands of the Olympics.”  No word thus far on whether such a tour has been scheduled.  Possible sports at the Connecticut venues, as suggested by CRDA, include badminton, table tennis, wrestling, martial arts, and weightlifting.  Basketball, volleyball and soccer could be additional possibilities, along with tennis.   The Connecticut Tennis Center is described as the fourth largest tennis venue in the world, with seating capacity of 15,000.  Within the past week, options for major renovations or reconstruction of Hartford’s XL Center have been announced, with a decision on how to proceed due later this year.

The Boston 2024 website also notes that “many national Olympic and Paralympic teams will arrive months in advance of the Games to acclimate and train; they may lease facilities at high schools and colleges around the region.”

NBC owns the exclusive U.S. media rights for an unprecedented 11 consecutive Summer and Winter Olympics, a run which began with the 2000 Sydney Games and continues through the 2020 Summer Olympics.  In January 2013, the network opened a state-of-the-art 300,000 square foot facility headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut on a thirty-three acre campus. The facility brought NBC Sports, NBC Sports Network, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Digital, and NBC Regional Networks all under one roof.  In May 2014, NBC Universal agreed to pay a reported $7.75 billion for the exclusive broadcast rights to the six Olympic Games from 2022 to 2032.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, of Germany, called Boston’s 2024 Olympic bid “very strong” in an interview that aired during NBC’s Super Bowl XLIX pregame show earlier this month.  Boston could face formidable opposition from cities including Paris, Berlin, Rome and Hamburg and when the 102-member IOC votes to choose the host city. The deadline for cities to file bids is September 2015.

As Hartford Nears Stadium Groundbreaking, Norwich Ranked #6 Minor League Baseball City in USA

With winter snow piling up and the planned groundbreaking for a new minor league baseball stadium in Hartford only weeks away, it seemed the perfect time to turn attention to baseball – and which cities are earning notice in the minor league landscape.  Among local franchises, tops on the list is Norwich, home of the Connecticut Tigers, the Class-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and a member of the NY-Penn League. An analysis of baseball’s 159 minor league cities following the 2014 season by the website smartasset.com, ranked Norwich #6 among the Top 25 Best Minor League Towns.

The top ten were: Portland, ME; Alexandria, VA; Pearl, MS; Frisco, TX; Appleton, WI; Norwich, CT; Bowie, MD; Round Rock, TX; Hillsboro, OR; and Midland, MI.  Other New England franchises earning a slot in the top 25 include Lowell, MA and Manchester, NH. 

The analysis considered five “quality of life” factors in determining the top 25 baseball cities.  The factors were:

• Violent Crime per 100,000 Residents
• Property Crime per 100,000 Residents
• Disposable Income – The difference between average income and the average monthly rent for a two bedroom apartment.
• Unemployment Rate
• Dining & Entertainment Establishments per 100,000 Residents

As a secondary consideration, the analysis sought to determine which cities enjoyed the best baseball experience, dubbed the “team” score. Three factors were considered:

• Team Win Percentage – During the 2014 regular season.
• Stadium Experience – A ranking of every minor league ballpark, courtesy of StadiumJourney.com, which attended a game at every single minor league stadium.
• Minor League Class – A measure from 0-50 based on the level of competition: Triple-A teams receive a 0, Double-A teams a 10, Class A Advanced a 20, and so on.

To determine America’s Best Minor League Baseball Towns, the Quality of Life Score and the Team Score were added, giving 80% weight to the former and 20% to the latter, according to the website.

Ranked at #6, the Connecticut Tigers had their best season on the field in 2014, setting a franchise record for wins and clinching a spot in the postseason for the first time in their five year franchise history.  The franchise plays home games at Dodd Stadium in Norwich.  The facility celebrated its 20^th year in 2014.

Of Norwich, the website noted that “The Rose of New England sits at the confluence of three rivers in Connecticut’s serene southeast corner,” and “had the third highest concentration of (restaurant and entertainment) attractions of any Minor League town.”

Ranked #25, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats are owned by Art Solomon, father of New Britain Rock Cats owner Josh Solomon.  The Rock Cats will be moving to Hartford from New Britain for the 2016 season, with groundbreaking on their new stadium in Hartford slated for later this month. The Colorado Rockies signed a two-year player development contract with the Rock Cats last fall, after the Minnesota Twins ended a two-decade affiliation agreement.

No state had more than three top 25 towns, and 19 different states had at least one. Texas and Virginia were the leading Minor League Baseball states, with three towns each in the top 25.  SmartAsset is a financial technology company that provides data and advice related to personal finance decisions.

Artists conception of planned baseball stadium in Hartford.