LONG POST: Fire at The Buttonwood Tree in CT

[cliff furnald]

FIRE AT THE BUTTONWOOD TREE, Middletown, CT

I have sad news for all the folks who have loved the ambiance,
friendliness and open attitude of The Buttonwood Tree in
Middletown CT. Last Saturday, at the end of a performance by
Stacy Phillips, there was a fire on the second floor of the
building that has severely damaged the space, from
fire, water and smoke. At first look, it's pretty clear they have
lost all the books and recordings in the store, and probably the
computers, phones and other office and theater stuff. They WERE able to
save the piano, which the fire fighters took great pains to cover
and protect during the fighting of the fire.

The Buttonwood Tree is a non-profit community center, bookstore
and performance space, the only space of it's kind in the region,
and has been supporting music of all kinds, poetry, theater,
educational programs for adults and children, for many years now.
While insurance will help to rebuild (maybe/probably at a new
location somewhere else in the Middletown north end), they are
going to need LOTS of help, help with your hands, donations of
used books and recordings for the store, and of course, financial
support to get things back.

The rest if the May schedule is probably going to be canceled.

THE ODD FELLOWS PLAYHOUSE at 128 Washington Street, Middletown,
CT is donating the use of their space for the events scheduled
for June and July. After that is still a wild card. I will try to
keep folks updated on further developments on that front as well.
If you have WWW service, keep checking
http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/tbt.html
for continuing updates.

I'm going to be helping to co-ordinate some of this, and while we
don't have an EXACT plan of action in place yet, I sure would
like to start hearing from folks who can give them a hand in the
rebuilding process.

Donations of RECORDINGS AND BOOKS (new and
used) would be a HUGE help in reestablishing the store.
MONEY will be readily and gratefully accepted, and if you
live in the region, they are really going to need your HANDS to
help rebuilding over the summer.

E-mail me if there's anything YOU can do to help. I'll keep a
file of names and addresses and phone numbers, and as things
progress, believe me, I'll come looking for you to help.

Contributions can be sent to The Buttonwood tree, 49 Rapallo Ave,
Middletown CT 06457
TBT is non-profit and contributions ARE tax-deductible.


Thanks

cliff
(unaffiliated fan and supporter of The Buttonwood Tree)



--
Cliff Furnald
http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/
http://www.wpkn.org/wpkn/cliff.html
http://www.dirtynelson.com/linen/