Half-marathon street closures announced

MIDDLETOWN >> Middletown is hosting the Harvard Pilgrim Middletown Half Marathon and Legends 4.5 mile Road Race on Sunday, April 9.

Main Street will be closed from Union Street to William Street from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with access to the Inn at Middletown.

Main Street between William Street and Court Street will be closed from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Main Street between Washington Street and Court Street will remain open.

Vehicles traveling south on Main Street will be detoured eastbound onto Court Street.

About 11 a.m., numerous side streets, including High Street, Vine Street, Church Street, and College Street, will also be closed to through traffic.

Roads will reopen as runners pass. When possible, police will direct cross traffic to accommodate motorists. Please expect delays and detours.

For a detailed map of the streets used for the race visit www.HartfordMarathon.com.

Russell Library launches WW I series

MIDDLETOWN >> The Russell Library will hold a new series, World War One, America Answered the Call, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the nation’s entry into the war in 1917. Fifty libraries across the nation will sponsor similar programs to commemorate the centennial of World War I.

Made possible by a grant from the Library of America, with support from the Connecticut State Library and the National Endowment for the Humanities, World War I, America Answered the Call is a ninemonth initiative that aims to bring veterans and their families together with the general public to explore the continuing relevance of the war.

The series at Russell Library will bring veterans together with the general public to explore the transformative impact of the First World War by reading, discussing, and sharing insights into the writings of Americans who experienced it firsthand. Providing scholar-moderated opportunities for those who served in more recent conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan to bring their experiences to bear on historical events and texts, the project will illuminate for a wide audience the lasting legacies of World War I, and the similarities and differences between past and present.

“World War I Poster Exhibits,” April 5-29, throughout the library. “Food Will Win the War” brings together a variety of food conservation posters from the library’s collection featuring images that persuaded, informed, and inspired Americans to eat less, garden more, and preserve the bounty from their gardens to help win the war. The “Knowledge Wins” exhibition represents a small collection of library posters promoting the work of the Library War Service. Also on display are several hand-made posters created for the Russell Library.

“Over There: The World War I Diaries of Dr. Jessie Weston Fisher,” will be presented Wednesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown. In April, 1918, Dr. Jessie Fisher left her home, her husband and her son in Middletown, to do her part for our nation’s effort in the First World War. She traveled to France, where she worked for the American Red Cross at a hospital at Beauvais, in Picardy. During her time abroad Jessie kept two diaries, documenting her part in one of the most historically significant events of the 20th century. Sarah Fisher Spencer, Jessie Fisher’s great-granddaughter, Beverly York and Rick Spencer will present readings from Jessie Fisher’s diaries, narration on her life and time in France, historic images, and songs of the period. This program has been made possible in part by Library of America, the Connecticut State Library and a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

“Connecticut’s Role in World War I” will be held April 19 at 7 p.m. Christine Pittsley, Project Director for Remembering World War One community archiving project at the Connecticut State Library, will explore the role Connecticut played leading up to the war, what was happening on the home front while our soldiers fought in the trenches, stories of local contributions to the war effort, and how Connecticut commemorated the war. From Liberty Loan campaigns and victory gardens to local soldiers and nurses on the front lines, you will also learn about the ways Middletown contributed to winning the war. This program has been made possible in part by Library of America, the Connecticut State Library and a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.