With over 700 hundred freshman arriving at Wesleyan, the city of Middletown is doing a great deal to welcome new students to this New England town.
Middletown is one of 16 towns belonging to Middlesex County. In a 2003 study by the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC), the population was reported to be 43,167 people. Middletown constitutes 28 percent of Middlesex County and only about 1 percent of the state population.
Though a fairly small town, Middletown has plenty to offer its students. One of Middletown’s distinctions is its notable commitment to the arts. The city charted the Commission on the Arts (MCA) in 1972 to award and disperse grant monies to artists and arts organizations.
Many local programs such as Artist for World Peace, Green Arts Center, the North End Action Team, Musical Munchies and the Summer Sounds Concert series, use funding received from the MCA to put on free programming for residents.
Middletown is also big on dining. “People come from all directions [of Middlesex County] to eat in Middletown,” said Downtown Business District (DBD) Director Terry Concannon. “Middletown definitely attracts people from a 30 mile radius.”
The DBD issued a press release this past Monday announcing that it will offer free outdoor high speed wireless internet access on Main Street. Soon patrons will be able to access the internet on laptops and PDAs while in outdoor seating areas by BrewBakers, First and Last Tavern, Cornerstones, Mamouns, and Amici’s Italian Grill.
“This is not the first time outdoor internet service is being made available,” DBD Director Terry Concannon said, “but it is the first time this is being made available in this country for free.
Marc Levin, Chairperson of the Board of Comissioners of DBD, reported that Middletown will be the first town in the country to provide free high-speed internet.”
All laptops and PDAs must be equipped with a wireless card device known as 802.2-1b in order to access the internet service.
“This is really avant-garde” Concannon added, who also remembered Middletown’s down phase in the 80s and its reconstruction in the last 15 years.
“We have become a destination, and that was our aim” Concannon said. “People are still interested in opening restaurants on Main Street.”
This Saturday, several businesses on Main Street are participating in Explore Downtown Middletown, an initiative between the University, DBD, and the local businesses to get frosh acquainted with the downtown area.
According to Concannon, the Univeristy will provide free shuttle service from the Admissions Office parking lot to Main Street, where freshmen students will be able to use their Wesleyan ID cards from 2:30-5:00p.m. to redeem complimentary food and coupons on merchandise and goods.
“This is the third year that we are going Explore Downtown Middletown,” Concannon said. “It is a wonderful program.”
It’s Only Natural will offer free smoothies, and Javapaluzza, the new store-front coffeshop on Main Street, will be giving away samples of their products. These are only a few among the 10 participating stores.
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