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Our first post, a photo of the new ShopRite store shortly before its grand opening at the Shoppes at Farmington Valley, went up on May 22. This represents post No. 256, a little more than six months later.
Until now, dotCANTON.com has not actively pursued any advertising. We have been focusing, and will continue to focus, on creating a product that our growing number of readers will enjoy and will find informative. We have lots of ideas on how we can improve the site in the future.
To get to the future, we will need the support of advertisers now. We believe our readership foundation is firm and that it will continue to get stronger, so we have created four highly affordable ways for businesses of all sizes and everyone else to get the word out.
We have established a Classified Ads page that can be accessed by clicking the button at the top of this page, right above the dotCANTON.com in large letters. Everything you need to know about our classified ads can be found on the Classified Ads page.
In addition, we have opened up the right-hand column on every page to display advertising, ads we are calling “Side Orders.” Ads here will link with a click directly to a business’ website. Information you are used to seeing in the right-hand column, including “Posts By Date” and “Recent Posts,” can now be found in the left-hand column.
More very attractive advertising space is available between every post on the website — we’re calling these ads ‘Tweeners. You can see that green type directly below this post. These ads are all verbal and come with a link to a business’ website.
Another option, at a higher cost, is the wide space we normally use for photos that just scream Canton! We call this ad “The Topper.”
Information on all of these advertising options can be obtained by calling 860-693-8253. Please remember, dotCANTON.com is a small, privately run website, so it’s possible you will get a recording and have to leave a message. Thank you for your patience. We will return your call as soon as possible. We very much appreciate your interest and your support.
– Steve Wilder, founder/editor, dotCANTON.com
 "Sugar Plums" is one of the many trees currently on display at the Canton Historical Museum in Collinsville as part of the Gallery of Trees exhibit. Photo: dotCANTON Canton’s annual tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. on the Town Green, Route 44 and Dowd Avenue.
The Canton High School Chamber Singers will be caroling, and the Farmington Valley Band will be providing the music.
Girl Scouts will be on hand with treats and hot chocolate. Santa will be there, too, of course.
Good Morning, Santa
Children in grades pre-K through 3 and their parents are invited to have breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 4 (he’s a busy fellow these days), on the lower level of the Canton Community Center, 40 Dyer Ave. The event, which runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m., is sponsored by the Canton Parks & Recreation Dept.
Tickets are $7 for children and $9 for adults, and registration is required. Each child will receive a gift from Santa.
 Ski Sundown on Monday, Nov. 29. Photo: dotCANTON By Steve Wilder dotCANTON.com
There isn’t a hint of snow at Ski Sundown in New Hartford, and it’s not likely they will begin to make any there until late Thursday night, Dec. 2, or the wee hours of Friday morning, but that isn’t stopping Mountain Operations Manager Chris Sullivan from hoping for a Dec. 10 opening.
“We always shoot for an opening the day after Thanksgiving,” Sullivan said Monday, Nov. 29. “But that’s only happened once in [the] 12 years [he has been there]. “It’s more likely early to mid-December.”
Right now, he said, “we’re shooting for Friday the 10th.”
Sullivan is just waiting for the weather to cooperate. He needs temperatures in the mid-20s to make snow, but he isn’t going to start if daytime warmth will just melt away his work or if a large rain storm is on the way.
And that is precisely the case this week. A significant amount of warm rain [about two inches, Sullivan said] is forecast for Tuesday night into Wedesday. After that, however, conditions are looking good.
 Waiting for the right weather. Photo: dotCANTON “We’ll try to go Thursday night,” Sullivan said. “We probably won’t get going until midnight or 1 in the morning [Friday]. That will give us till just after sunup.”
That’s just a beginning, of course. Again, it’s all about the weather cooperating.
“If we get three to four nights of marginal to good conditions, we can get six trails open,” he said.
Once he gets down a good amount of snow, Sullivan doesn’t worry as much about more rain. “If we get four to five days of snowmaking,” he said. “Rain won’t impact us as much.”
Any concerns about accessing Ski Sundown from Route 44 in downtown New Hartford ended last month, when work on the Route 219 bridge over the East Branch of the Farmington River was completed.
 The Thomas M. Ryan Center at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, on Saturday, Nov. 27. Photo: dotCANTON This is the third in an occasional series entitled: “Road Trip.”
By Steve Wilder dotCANTON.com
OK, OK, I understand. In the land of the Huskies and all of the national championships, it probably isn’t such a great idea to be bringing up another college basketball program … an out of state program, no less.
But all we’re doing here is putting an idea on the table: For a change of pace during the long, cold winter ahead, and for the chance to get out of Dodge for a day, the University of Rhode Island Rams are an option. The Thomas M. Ryan Center on the campus of URI in Kingston is a 90-mile drive from Canton Village and doable under optimum conditions in about 1:45.
 Thomas M. Ryan Center. Photo: dotCANTON Take Route 2 south out of East Hartford to I-395 near Norwich. Take I-395 north to exit 85 for Route 138. Go through the first light at the top of the ramp and then make a right onto 138 at the second light. Watch your signs and stay on 138 all the way to Kingston. Some advice: When approaching and driving through Richmond, R.I., be very aware of the frequently changing and very low speed limits.
If you’re into antiques, you might want to leave a few extra minutes for a stop at the Richmond Antique Center a few miles east of where I-95 passes over Route 138 in Richmond.
The Ryan Center is a jem of a facility. The building, in its ninth season, only seats about 7,500, but it is two-tiered and feels much larger.
My knowledge about the school’s basketball program is limited to the men’s team, which has a 5-2 record after it’s home victory over Davidson on Saturday, Nov. 27, and should be among the top teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season. Senior forward Delroy James, who is averaging 20.4 points per game, probably will contend for conference player of the year honors.
If you follow the UConn men’s basketball program, you might recall Ben Eaves. The URI senior forward began his college career with the Huskies before transferring to Rhode Island.
Five Saturday or Sunday afternoon games remain on the Rams’ home schedule (New Hampshire, Dec. 18, 2 p.m.; St. Bonaventure, Jan. 16, 4 p.m.; LaSalle, Jan. 22, 2 p.m.; Charlotte, Feb. 12, 2 p.m.; and Massachusetts, Feb. 19, 2 p.m.), plus several weekday night games, including attractive matchups against Boston College, Xavier and Dayton.
Click here for more information about URI men’s and women’s basketball.
dotCANTON.com is pleased to announce the first of several exciting developments coming to our growing webmag in the days ahead. Beginning today, readers of dotCANTON.com can keep in touch with what’s going on in Canton by following us on Twitter. When new posts go up, we’ll announce them on Twitter (and Facebook) and you’ll be among the first to know.
In addition, from today forward, readers can now comment on all new posts on dotCANTON.com. We invite you to weigh in with your thoughts and to comment on what others have to say.
There’s more in the works. Please stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, our sincere thanks to everyone who visits dotCANTON.com. Your support is important. Remember, dotCANTON.com is not backed or funded by a major corporation. dotCANTON is produced and edited in town by a longtime Canton resident with more than a quarter century or journalism experience. Please tell your friends about us!
“Twitter”: You have been able to follow dotCANTON.com on Facebook since August. Beginning immediately, you can also use Twitter to stay in touch with our popular, locally-owned webmag. If you already have a Twitter account, please add us to the list of those you follow. If you would like to set up a Twitter account, click the Twitter icon in the left-hand column and follow the easy instructions.
“Comments”: Beginning with this post, you now can comment on everything you read at dotCANTON.com. Your first submission will need the editor’s approval before being visible.
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dotCANTON.com recently sent out it’s fourth newsletter. A growing number of our readers are signing up to receive the attractive, twice-monthly update via e-mail. It’s easy enough to do. Just click on the envelope above “Canton Weather” in the column to the left. If you sign up now, you’ll get your first dotCANTON.com newsletter on or about Dec. 5.
If you decide at any time that you no longer want to receive the newsletter — how could that be!!! — it’s easy to remove yourself from our list.
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Don’t forget our “Pet Pix” and “Wildlife” pages, where you can show off your pet or submit a story (with or without a photo) about something you’ve spotted outside (the leaves are down and visibility into the woods is excellent).
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With winter closing in, keep in mind that we will activate our “Weather” page from time to time when things outside get nasty, giving you the chance to share information about conditions around town.
Again, thank you for your interest in our webmag.
– Steve Wilder, founder/editor, dotCANTON.com
If you’re one of those shoppers who likes to get up and out early on the Friday after Thanksgiving, there’s an even better option in Canton: Old Navy, in the Shoppes at Farmington Valley, will be opening at midnight Thursday, Nov. 25, precisely one second before the arrival of Friday, Nov. 26.
Hang out at Old Navy for three hours and you’ll be able to pop over to Kohl’s for it’s 3 a.m. opening. After that, the options at The Shoppes start to pick up.
American Eagle Outfitters and The Children’s Place will open at 4 a.m., Dick’s Sporting Goods and Panera Bread will open at 5, and Gymboree, Jos. A. Banks and Justice will open at 6.
Brookstone, Kiddly Winks, ShopRite, Sparkle and White House Black Market will open at 7.
Ann Taylor LOFT, 344, AT&T, Barnes & Noble, Brighton Collectibles, Chico’s, Claire’s, Coldwater Creek, Feng Asian Bistro, Footbeats, Hickory Farms, J. Crew, J. Jill, Leaps & Bones, Rugged Bear, Sephora, Sprint, Sur La Table and Talbots will open at 8.
Ben & Jerry’s, DISH ‘n Dat (for breakfast) and The Spirited Hand will open at 9.
Monarch Jewelers will be the last to open at 9:30.
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The Shoppes has scheduled several events for the holiday season.
Thursday, Dec. 2, 4 to 7 p.m.: Give-a-Gift, Get-a-Gift. WTIC-FM will be on-site to gather unwrapped toys for the station’s “We Are The Children” event. Every family that donates a toy will receive a $25 gift card to participating stores at The Shoppes.
Sunday, Dec. 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Simsbury High School Choir performs.
Saturday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Stock the Cruiser. The final major event in the monthlong Gifts for Canton event.
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 11 and 12, 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. seatings: Santa will be at DISH ‘n Dat on Saturday, and at Flatbread Company on Sunday.
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 11 and 12, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Victorian carolers will be on the stroll.
Sunday, Dec. 12, 2 to 4 p.m.: DRC-FM is at Sur La Table to host two-hour fundraiser for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, featuring chefs from Feng Asian Bistro and DISH ‘n Dat.
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18 and 19, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Victorian carolers will be on the stroll.
By Steve Wilder dotCANTON.com
Peter Getz remembers the Saturday not too long ago when he and other members of the Canton Athletic Booster Club drove to Orange along with a donated 18-wheeler and spent the day unloading and cashing in cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles at a mobile redemption center.
At the time, the booster club was without a vendor who would have been handling that chore. But the redeemable cans and bottles were still coming in, so Getz and the others did what they had to do.
 The familiar drop-off point for redeemable cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles at the Canton transfer station. Photo: dotCANTON A resident of North Canton, Getz is in his fifth year as president of the nonprofit booster club, an organization that supplements the needs of all athletic teams at Canton Middle School and Canton High School. Over approximately two decades, he says, the club has provided more than $50,000 in financial assistance.
A good chunk of that money, as much as 75 percent in a given year, according to Getz, has been generated through the redemption of cans and bottles left voluntarily by the residents of Canton at three drop-off bins just inside the gate of the town’s transfer station on Ramp Road. Getz and two other men tend to the cans and bottles regularly, keeping everything sorted and ready for pickup.
CW Resources, a nonprofit agency in New Britain that’s dedicated to “empowering persons with disabilities and the economically disadvantaged through employment” picks up the load each month and sends back a check.
According to Getz, money from the booster club has been used recently to obtain headsets for the football coaches and to fund a scoreboard for the high school gym and to refinish the gym floor.
The booster club has other ways to raise funds, including family memberships and an annual golf tournament. In addition, Getz says the individual teams are beginning to get more involved in the process.
As examples, Getz says the girls high school basketball team is planning a breakfast fundraiser in February, and the high school baseball team is putting together a pasta dinner in the spring.
“We’re starting to involve the kids a lot more,” Getz says. “It’s good for community relations, and it gives the kids a sense of ownership.”
That doesn’t mean Getz no longer wants your empties. He says you don’t need a transfer station sticker to drop off redeemable cans and bottles. And, he says, if for some reason you can’t bring them in, don’t throw them away.
If they call me, I would be more than happy to go pick stuff up,” he says. “It’s not just that we’re looking for money, but I’d rather recycle it than have it wind up in a landfill.”
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