In case you haven't seen, we have a few new bloggers added to our blog network at middletownpress.com.

Here are some blog highlights:

BLUES BEAT BLOG: Long-time Blues Beat writer Domenic Forcella blogs about blues events in Connecticut and in the nation. Check for weekly blues listings and updates on well-known blues artists. Click here to check it out.

THE BALCONY AND BEYOND: Busy is Bonnie Goldberg's middle name. She loves theater as well as museums, travel, lectures, books and all things entertaining and fun. Read "The Balcony and Beyond" for a cultural tour of Connecticut. Click here to check it out.

PIECES OF THE PAST: The staff at The Middletown Press will post pieces of archived stories from our newspaper on this blog. Click here to check it out.

SARAH'S CUCINA BELLA: Former newspaper reporter Sarah Caron blogs about homecooking and raising a healthy family in Connecticut. Click here to check it out.

WEATHER WITHOUT THE HYPE: Local meteorologist Bob Cox discusses the area's current and forecast weather conditions. Click here to check it out.

If you want us to link to your blog, or if you want help starting a blog, please email us at editor@middletownpress.com.

Reporter Claire Michalewicz covered a story a couple of weeks ago of a local Girl Scout troop knitting comfort dolls to send to the Dominican Republic. She grabbed a kit and instructions and immediately went home to knit a doll.

When she brought it in, her doll got a lot of "oohs" and "aaahs" from the rest of the newsroom, so I decided I was going to try to knit one as well.

Of course, I was so eager I started before I had the instructions, and I used yarn that was too thick. This resulted in a very tall and somewhat fuzzy figure.

You can see the difference between the two dolls in this photo by Catherine Avalone:


If you want to try to knit a doll to donate to the Girl Scouts at Troop 62886, instructions are available here: http://bit.ly/lK6j2l

(I'm working on a second one now with the correct kind of yard and needles). Finished dolls can be dropped off at The Middletown Press, 386 Main St., 4th Floor, Middletown. (Elevator closes at 4 p.m.)

We've had a busy month with graduations here at The Middletown Press. Almost all graduations have video. If you missed any of them, see our graduation roundup HERE.

And if you missed some of our top videos this past week, you can catch them right here. In the past week, our most popular videos were the following...

DBS ENERGY TALKS ABOUT SOLAR PANELS


THIRD-GRADE TEACHER PAT HEIZMAN RETIRES

GEOFF OGILVY ON HOW HE'LL PLAY AT THE TPC RIVER HIGHLANDS

CHRS CLASS OF 2011 GRADUATION