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Typesetter: GUSS50BQueue: 68Date: 10/20 Time: 23:44Plate: CMYKC M Y K

A6 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2005 M T H E H A R T F O R D C O U R A N T

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McKenzie Tiffany Chandelier 7489

$478 $393 $296Vintage Table

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CASH, CHECKS, CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS WELCOME!HRS: TUE-WED-FRI-SAT 10-6/THUR 10-7:30/SUN 12-4/MON 10-4

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A11

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Giving matters to OTIS

Thank you.

Please give.

(860) 493-6800www.uwcact.org

On September 9, United Way Community Campaign's Day of Caring XIV, 4,000 employees from localorganizations gave their time and talents to assist 155 nonprofit agencies throughout the 40-towncapital region. The event kicked off the 2005 United Way Community Campaign, the goal of which is toraise $26.6 million.

OTIS employee Ajayan Kadirgamar prepares a rail for paint at South ParkInn in Hartford.

N A T I O N

visitor’s experience.“Concept design,” said Jeff

Kennedy,“is the most difficultpart, because you have to narrowfrom huge areas of science downto a few, well-chosen opportu-nities for engagement.”

The plan begins with the notionthat science is both constantly rel-evant to everyday life — and con-stantly changing.

The center’s four largest galler-ies would be devoted to earth sci-ence, space science, physical sci-ence, and human health. Othergalleries would have the themesof art, music and culture; Con-necticut inventions; ConnecticutRiver Valley; clean energy; andsports science. There would alsobe a children’s gallery.

As work continues, the namesmay change, but the conceptswon’t, Kennedy said. After the de-signers were hired earlier thisyear, the conceptual plan evolvedbased on input from over 100 peo-ple, including scientists, educa-tors, engineers and science stu-dents from two area schools.

“People come because they’recurious, and we’re really trying tosatiate that,” Kennedy said.

One key element of the plan isto make sure the exhibits toucheveryone, regardless of age or sci-entific sophistication. The chal-lenge, Kennedy said, is to keepadults and science-literate kidsinterested, but also appeal tothose less interested in science.

“Hitting that tipping point isexceedingly tricky,” he said.Some exhibits will have “pro-gram modes” that add levels ofcomplexity to them, but much isleft to be designed, he said.

Another way to ensure interestis to root the exhibits in personalexperiences — inviting visitors tomount and ride a stationary ver-sion of the bike used by cyclistLance Armstrong, for example, in

order to compare the rider’s heartrate and lung capacity with that ofthe champion.

Another display might ask visi-tors to manipulate wind blowersto try to suspend a lightweightball in the air. A light and shadowart performance space would al-low people to use light, shadows,and their own bodies to create anartistic experience.

The museum will also featureScience Alley, a “dramatic, soar-ing architectural space” that willrun through the heart of thebuilding. The alley — 40 feet at itswidest, 130 feet at its tallest — isboth a public thoroughfare and anentrance to the center’s galleries.

The alley is expected to containa solar-powered, interactive mo-bile — based on the original mo-bile invented by Connecticut art-ist Alexander Calder.

The designers have alsothought about the best ways tokeep the exhibits fresh. Four“current science mini-exhibi-tions,” one in each of the fourmain galleries, would change an-nually. And working off visitorfeedback, the center’s popularcomponents could be augmentedand expanded upon.

Finally, the center could haveone new “feature component”that changes each year in a vis-ible location.

Should the board approve theconceptual plan at today’s meet-ing, the designers will move intothe next phase, further develop-ing their ideas and finalizingplans. A private firm will do audi-ence research surveys and seekfeedback on the exhibit design.

“They have to go back now anddo some real design for develop-ment for June,” Sergi said.“They’ve done a lot of work in sixmonths.”

The museum’s $149.5 millionprice tag is being funded withroughly $107 million in state fund-ing. The remaining roughly $42million will come from othersources.

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With its groundbreaking today, the Connecticut Centerfor Science and Exploration begins construction as itsboard mulls exhibit designs rendered by Thinc Design ofNew York and Jeff Kennedy Associates of Boston. Above,visitors to the Space Science gallery would be able toexplore the planets in a hands-on setting typical of allthe proposed exhibits. Below, a rendering of the museum,designed by New Haven architect Cesar Pelli. The $149.5million facility is slated to open in 2008.

A Place For Space

THE HARTFORD COURANT

Columbus Boulevard

Site of ConnecticutCenter For Science

and Exploration

HARTFORD

Detailarea

Phoenix

St. PaulsTravelers

HartfordMarriott

Downtown

Whitehead Highway

ConnecticutConvention

CenterA d r i a e n ’ s L a n d i n g

Founders Bridge

Connecticut R

iver

Riverfront Plaza

PlannersDesignScience CenterCONTINUED FROM PAGE A1

GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — Whatkind of a man does it take togrow a 1,300-pound pumpkin?

He needs patience, of course,for the six-month growing sea-son, and enough dedication towork two hours every night inthe patch. And it helps to have afamiliarity with plant breed-ing, a tolerance for the smell ofliquefied codfish and a $100 Gi-ant Pumpkin lifting tarp. All ofthe things you’d expect.

Plus one more: A big-timepumpkin grower needs to becomfortable with cheeringcrowds.

That’s why, even before JimBeauchemin brought his pale-orange monster squash to thefamous Topsfield Fair weigh-off, he already had a victoryspeech prepared.

“Not only did I go to theSuper Bowl,” Beauchemin, 47,bellowed to the hundreds ofspectators when the numberson the scale finally settled at abest-in-show 1,314.8 pounds, “Iwon the Super Bowl!”

That’s what it feels like whenyou’re a winner in the ultra-competitive world of giantpumpkins. This once-sleepyrural hobby features interna-tional rankings, raucousweigh-offs and a racehorse-style trade in the seeds of cham-pions. Enthusiasts say it comesas close to true sport as any-thing can be — and still bemainly about produce.

“It’s extreme gardening,”said George Hoomis, 54, agrower from Ipswich, Mass.

The pumpkins in questionare not just overfed siblings of

the ones that make Halloweenjack-o’-lanterns. Instead, theycome from a strain called Dill’sAtlantic Giant, specially bredfor rapid growth and verythick walls.

It is not a pretty pumpkin: Alumpy Atlantic Giant often re-sembles a smaller, paler cousinof Jabba the Hutt. But nobodycares, as long as — in pumpkinparlance — it “goes heavy.”

“It’s a contest of weight,”said Woody Lancaster, 59,treasurer of the New EnglandPumpkin Grower’s Associa-tion. “That’s all that matters.”

And what weight: In the1980s, a 400-pound pumpkinwas considered huge. But thatseems like a paperweight whencompared with the currentworld record of 1,469 pounds,which was set this month at aweigh-off in Altoona, Pa.

The reason for the growth,pumpkin enthusiasts believe,is people.

Thousands of new growershave been attracted to the mad-scientist thrill of growing afruit the size of a boulder. Forsome reason, at least 80 percentof them have been men.

Through the years, moregrowers have meant morepumpkins, and more chancesto cross one behemoth with an-other.

As this practice has becomemore popular, the seeds of cer-tain well-known pumpkins —such as a 723-pound New Yorkspecimen whose illustrious off-spring have made it the Alydarof squash — can bring hun-dreds of dollars at auction. Attraining seminars, growerswill play “pumpkin poker,” forone seed a hand.

PUMPKINS:SOW BIG

Growing Giants An Extreme Sport

By DAVID A. FAHRENTHOLDWASHINGTON POST

F R O M P A G E O N E

TAUNTON, Mass. — Fearsthat a dam collapse could inun-date this city’s downtowneased late Thursday, as pump-ing lessened pressure on thestorm-weakened structure andofficials began allowing someof the 2,000 people evacuated toreturn home.

Residents had been evacu-ated for days since the Whitten-ton Pond Dam buckled and be-gan breaking apart, andhundreds whose homes arenearest the 173-year-old damwere still being asked to stayaway Thursday night.

But city officials grew more

confident Thursday afternoon,when pumps began movingwater from behind the damdownstream to the Mill River.Water levelshad dropped about18 inches from Lake Sabbatiaupstream since Monday.

“We feel very comfortablewith the decision we’ve made.We are seeing tremendousprogress,” Mayor Robert G.Nunes said.

Nunes said the city would re-main under a state of emer-gency, and engineers wouldstill be on standby. But abouthalf of the 2,000 residents whowere evacuated earlier in theweek were being allowed to re-turn home.

As Fears Over Taunton Dam Ease,Some Residents Allowed Back

Associated Press

MARTINEZ, Calif. — A 16-year-old youth has been arrested inconnection with the fatal bludge-oning of Pamela Vitale, the wife ofdefense attorney and televisionanalyst Daniel Horowitz, in theentryway of the couple’s hilltophome, the sheriff’s office said

Thursday.“We are still trying to deter-

mine the exact motive,” ContraCosta County sheriff’s spokes-man Jimmy Lee said. “Althoughwe have a suspect in custody, theinvestigation is still going on.”

Lee said the arrest was made

Wednesday night after investiga-tors served two search warrants,but he declined to identify theyouth or say what led to his ar-rest.

The announcement came justhours before a funeral service forVitale, who was killed Saturday.

16-Year-OldHeld In Killing

Of Lawyer’s Wife

Los Angeles Times