Click on the My Calendar link below to learn what is happening in Manchester in December 2023.
December 2023 Calendar
Great Day for a Run in Manchester!
Running in a race in Manchester isn’t limited to Thanksgiving Day. Runners from 30 high schools competed in four races at Wickham Park on Tuesday, October 17, for the CCC Championships. Over 1,000 runners competed in the Girls’ Varsity and Junior Varsity and Boys’ Varsity and Junior Varsity races.
Best View of the Race
Manchester High School Runners
The girls’ varsity race included 192 runners. Manchester High School girls finished 1st in the CCC East and 4th overall. Top finishers included Harper Shirley in 6th place and Mia Gilbert in 12th.
The boys’ varsity race included 227 runners. Manchester High School boys finished 3rd in the CCC East and 12th overall.
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November Calendar
The November Calendar is available at this link:
Remember to change your clocks and batteries.
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23 Walks: Charter Oak Park
A small group of walkers gathered under the pavilion at Charter Oak Park at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 7, 2023, for a history walk. After viewing some historical pictures and maps, we set off on the walk in the rain.
The walk followed the above route along the East Coast Greenway. It included stops at the fish ladder, under an overpass, by an East Coast Greenway Sign, near some condos, the Rogers Corp building, the CT Fireman’s Historical Society, and a bridge on the Great Lawn.
Looking at the Corner of South Main St and Charter Oak St Over the Years
Screenshot of 1627 Map of American Indian Paths and Villages 
Cheney Store 1876 
Hughes & Bailey. (1914) Aero view of Manchester, Connecticut. New York. [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/75693150/. 
1940 photo of an Auction Shed in the field that became Charter Oak Park 
1953 photo by Sinch Ofiara 
2019 Google Maps Screenshot
Beginning about 12,000 years ago, the Podunk Indians lived in this area. The Globe Mills were built along Hop Brook when European settlers moved in. The Cheney Brothers bought the mills because they needed more power from the water. New jobs at the Cheney Mills made up for the jobs lost from the mill closings. From the 1920s to the 1940s, there was a field with an Auction Shed for farmers. The land became a park in 1948(?)
Along the way, we heard stories from group members who had lived near the park or worked in a Cheney Mansion.
The next walk is this Saturday, October 21 at the Corner of Comstock and South Main.
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MCCOAA Program & Update
On Friday, October 20, at 1:30 in Room E202, Dr. Richard Benfield will present The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.
Here is a copy of the most recent Update.
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MCCOAA
The Organization of Active Adults (OAA) was founded in 1983 in partnership with the Manchester Community College Continuing Education Division. It includes college personnel and community members sharing a common interest in lifelong learning, travel opportunities, and monthly entertainment features at the college. Several hundred adults, 50 years of age and older, are members.
Questions? Contact the OAA at mccoaa@aol.com or, if you are a member, join the OAA Facebook group at www.facebook.com/mccoaa
How Do I Join the OAA?
Membership is open to all persons aged 50 or older. Our membership year is from September 1–August 31, corresponding to the academic year. Annual dues are $20. Membership is effective on the date your payment is postmarked or presented in person and is valid for the remainder of the current membership year, except that dues postmarked from June 1– August 31 are valid for the remainder of the summer and for the upcoming membership year.
Membership Benefits
OAA members enjoy the stimulation of socializing with people who share similar interests in a wide variety of educational, social, and entertaining activities including:
- Free monthly programs at the college with entertaining speakers and performances on various subjects, with refreshments afterward, September through May (except for luncheon months).
- Reduced fees for luncheons at local fine restaurants or banquet facilities.
- The OAA Travel Committee arranges many popular motor coach day trips, overnight trips and international travel. Although non-members may participate, OAA members are given priority and pay discounted rates. Recent destination offerings have included Connecticut, New York City, Boston, Rhode Island, and Nashville.
- TheUPDATE, a monthly newsletter providing information on activities, events, non-credit courses and news of interest to active adults is available online and in print.
- A Tuition Rebate Program for non-credit courses costing more than $10, offering a 20 percent reimbursement of the fees paid up to a total of $50 per membership year. The MCC non-credit program offers a wide variety of low-cost courses and lectures of interest to the older adult, but all ages are welcome to participate. There are no tests or grades, and courses are designed to be friendly, fun and informative.
- Members may also use the college library for books, movies, music and other resources. In addition, members are encouraged to participate in college activities, lectures and performances.
Can I Take Classes?
Our motto is “Never Stop Learning”. MCC’s Continuing Education Division offers a wide variety of low-cost, non-credit courses and lectures designed specifically for older adults.
When, Where, and How Much are Classes?
Please read the non-credit course catalogs for class schedules, topics, and fees. OAA members are eligible for tuition rebates (see above) on all non-credit courses costing over $10. Rebate applications can be found online.
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October Calendar
Summer is on its way out, but the hydrangea in my yard is just starting. The rain has stopped for a few days, allowing for a nice blue-on-blue picture.
Here is the October Calendar. Happy Halloween!!
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23 Walks: Downtown Manchester Churches
On Saturday, July 1, Susan Barlow, Town Historian, led a walk around downtown Manchester, explaining the history of some of the churches. Participants met at the town parking lot adjacent to St. James Church.
After learning about Manchester’s earliest (Podunk) and more recent (European) histories and some of the history of St. James Church, we walked past St Mary’s Church to Emmanuel Lutheran.
St Mary’s Church
Gargoyles on the Steeple at St. Mary’s Church
Church Volunteer Valerie Norris met us on the church’s steps and welcomed us inside.
Group photo on the Steps of Emmanuel Lutheran Church
100-year-old Emmanuel Lutheran Church – Dedicated in March of 1923
The first church was built on land donated by the Cheney Family on this spot in 1886 for $3300.
Volunteer Valerie Norris Addresses the Group
Emmanuel Lutheran Church Altar
A Brief Stop in the Cheney Brothers National Historic Landmark District, established in 1978
Sexton Don Wilby Greeted the Group at South United Methodist Church
Quarry Stone for the Church Donated by the Case Brothers
This post briefly overviews the many interesting facts Susan covered during the walk. If you have yet to attend a history walk, I highly recommend it. Susan presents the historical information in an engaging and friendly manner. You will learn about architecture and how Manchester has changed from demolition to preservation. You will understand how different groups and religions discriminated against each other. You will see things for the first time, something you have often walked by and have not seen.
The next walk is on Sunday, September 17, at 1:00, beginning on the front steps of the town hall and continuing into Center Memorial Park.
Here is a link to the booklet describing all of the walks this year: 23 Walks Booklet
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September Calendar
Once in a blue moon…
Photo taken of the blue moon over Manchester on August 30, 2023.
Back to school for Manchester students next week. Here is the calendar of events for September in Manchester.
