The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Mar. 31, 2009

Area: Signs of possible life in the local housing market, at least from certain numbers in the crunching mix. It may be too early to talk of budding growth, but there are positive signals among the dead leaves.

Southington: School lunch programs are seeing growth with more students applying for reduced price servings, except, for some as yet undetermined reason, in the Southington schools. The explanation of the difference would help everyone understand marketing a little better.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Mar. 30, 2009

Meriden: We the People showing registrants. The largest group, and still a majority at 52 percent of total voters, is non-party members.

Southington: Brochure lists town’s open spaces, which is a handy tool.

State: a cell-phone-sniffing Labrador now at work scouting illicit phones on the way to inmates. I can see why cell phones are not allowed. I can’t see why televisions ARE allowed.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Mar. 29, 2009

Wallingford: Charter revision finishing up, hopes to get something on ballot for Nov. 3. Some expected changes. Personally, I hope they give voters a variety package, so that items can be approved separately.

Meriden: Humane Society’s fundraiser with cookie walk and photos with Easter Bunny raised a good amount of cash for a good cause.

Cheshire: Ron Urquhart seems right to me. The cable advisory panel is a waste of time if the cable company doesn’t have to listen and can’t be bothered even to encourage a debate. And, in passing, why are there no Meriden members?

Meriden: it would be interesting to know why actual fires as well as fire calls are up in city, stressing all kinds of services.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Mar. 28, 2009

Meriden: Good that the notion of a pay freeze is now on the table. Given the state of the economy, why has it taken so long? But never mind. Get the talks started. Surely, it’s better for everyone to take a small cut than for monstrous and debilitating layoffs to take place with resulting loss of services.

Meriden: Jack Barry LL. Fighting for that Kellogg grant. Well, why not? There’s a good chance. Come on, folks, vote!

State: the proposals to rig up some sort of recall provision against local officials sounds dangerously like a harassment tool. One graph of the story suggests that state and local criminal justice officials could petition the superior court for removal: I’m not sure what business it is of any state official to conclude that someone ought to be dismissed. The option which works would be a petition for recall, as exists in some towns. It should not be used lightly. Lots and lots of questions.

State: Closing the courthouse is a miserable idea and has been so since the beginning.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Mar. 28, 2009

Wallingford: Moving the train station . . can’t be too far north or two far south. . . but there must be plenty of room for location within a range. Rather than decide where to locate, first, it might make sense to decide how to make the choice first, so that it isn’t subject to second-guessing later on.

Southington: Decision to pass up the Compounce project to move Mount Vernon Road is a serious mistake, one the town ought to think about paying for itself.

Southington: School lunches. It seems sort of absurd to move back towards all the junk food just to make money for the system.

State: AIG executive defends his bonus at legislature.

The Editor's Notepod, Thurs., Mar. 26, 2009

Meriden: Bulky waste pick-up program. Eliminating it seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face. It’s a service which, according to records, 288 households used last year, 491 the year before, bringing in revenue. Since in neither year did the revenue cover cost of two laborers, why not raise the fee so it will do that as well as cover at least a portion of the cost of removal (an estimate at best) and for clerical help? Fee would still be below that of renting a dumpster. Who cares if landlords pay for the service?

Wallingford/State: Commr. Farrell has a ruling to make on bonuses: are the millions paid as “bonus” sums to AIG execs covered by the protections of CT wage laws?

Wallingford: talk of wage freezes for all town employees. The technique here has to be via appeal to voluntary sacrifice. Town can’t alter salary of sitting mayor, nor can it unilaterally reduce union’s negotiated wages. But it can ask for cooperation.

State/Casinos: this is a heck of a time to pick a fight over whether the state can regulate 2nd hand smoke on territorial lands. But, since CT already seems to issue licenses to sell booze, I can’t see why it cannot also regulate smoking, since it does so at every other bar and public restaurant.

Meriden: Federal cash for renewal of federally-funded housing, which unhappily, now excludes Chamberlain Heights.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Mar. 25, 2009

State: Some supermarkets are already giving shoppers 5¢ for using a reusable bag instead of plastic. Makes sense to me to encourage this process further.

Wallingford: “A change in the way they do things,” as McCully says, meaning the council going over all those small transfers. How odd that they baulked at $1,129 for the nets and traps for the animal control.

Southington: Looks as if funding for the Canal Line Linear Trail extension will get funded.

Wallingford: Incentive zone is an interesting thought, but why density of residential units is being encouraged is even more so.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Mar. 24, 2009

Meriden: If it possible for the Meriden school system to save cash by sending kids to the magnet school in Hamden, there is something radically wrong with the way the per pupil reimbursement system is set up. But I think we knew that already.

Wallingford: Congratulations to Wallingford and its new Superintendent, Dr. Salvatore Menzo.

State: a unicameral legislature which will serve staggered four-year terms. At lest as proposed. Clearly, a constitutional amendment is needed. So long as nobody thinks it’s some sort of cure for the momentary, if severe, fiscal problem. It won’t save billions. But if this is an idea, there should be a reason beyond doing what Switzerland and New Zealand do. Why will this help us in Connecticut?

Cheshire: affordable housing fails. Not a big surprise.

Southington: The extra cash for cleaning up the PCBs found at the denitrification site is a good thing.

Southington: Transfer station. If there is an excess of electronic equipment being dropped off using licenses as ID (allowing residents to accommodate out-of-towners) impose a sticker and a fee. But CRRA had a big collection at Lincoln in Meriden last fall. Why does this become a problem in Southington?

State: a new, or rather, an old, definition of “operating” a motor vehicle will send a man to jail for remote-starting his car and then sitting in the driver’s seat. The guy had an alcohol issue, though, apparently.

State/Local: agencies in city are relying more on Block Grant cash to help continue functioning here. I think it is more important to keep these helping agencies going than to take down more decrepit houses.

Cheshire: Internet policy changes? Of course. Kids in college today use electronic preparation all the time. It makes communication easier for teachers and kids, and no more “dog-ate-my-homework” stories, either. Highly sensible, but different, naturally, since these are kids, not college students.

Meriden: Someone is interested in buying the old post office. Let’s hope it is something or someone which will add to the downtown ambience.

Wallingford: “appropriations-in-force” as a method of returning funds to departments which have returned them to the general fund. I take it the accounting term uses the words “in-force” in the style of “in effect” rather than in a sense expressive of pre-emptive power?

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Mar. 23, 2009

Southington: This issue of reorganizing the police department. The salient factor, or one of them, is that a new captain is not a union job, while a new lieutenant (officers are unionizing now) may well be. Can this really be what all the fuss is about? How's the charter revision commission doing with assessing the way the police department and chief are managed by the town?

Wallingford: Visit of the department of Labor 's van to town to help jobseekers with their task. It's kind of like the bookmobile, or the former van of the department of motor vehicles. This is a god kind of government operation

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Mar. 22, 2009

Meriden: Sounds to me as if the Housing Authority's plan with Jonathan Rose Companies isn't going to work as planned, since apparently those interested in investment have become scarce on the ground. New idea, for MHA to let someone else manage the place, doesn't seem to me to mesh very well with the notion of public housing. But they've reduced the tenantry to 66 from 124, so there are fewer and fewer revenue units. The place will wind up empty and decrepit, while former tenants live on Section 8 vouchers. That just doesn't sound like any plan at all.

State: Two proposals: a) to require Mountain Laurel plantings at state buildings and b) to name the polka as state dance. We're doing fiscal crisis. Are these guys serious?

Meriden: Here's the case for not closing the fire station on Broad Street. May its closure not also raise insurance rates for some residents? So would they rather pay the taxes to maintain services, which means basically paying firefighters, or would they rather pay more to their insurance company out in Minneapolis or Duluth because the nearest firehouse exceeds some limit? That's not a choice I have any difficulty with.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Mar. 21, 2009

Meriden: Firefighters organize against closure of the Broad Street Firehouse. A logical move. Union seems right.

Southington: Recovery Wing, Inc. to present Monday at the Grange a program on rehabilitating injured songbirds. I think this is a delightful occupation.

Meriden: Murphy announces $237K grant and city prepares to move forward with it. I trust this is just one of at least several segments of the aid package from Uncle Sam.

Wallingford: With development encouraged around the train station, the place where the train actually stopped might be moved. Sound odd? Well, consider that when the station's location was originally settled, there were no cars or trucks, only horses.

Meriden: cutting teachers and/or sports programs. If it comes down to it, nobody wants to decide this and take the political heat. School board might put it to the public. While they're at it, ask it the public wants to pay taxes to cover the cost.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Mar. 20, 2009

Meriden: Catholic schools request continuation of city services to these institutions. There’s a lot of meat in the argument they make that without such services, some kids who need them (190 of 590, or about a third) will go elsewhere. If they go to public school, the same services would be needed, but the transfer would weaken the private schools, which are in economic difficulty already.

Wallingford: $15,000 a month for ten years for the town to be able to send an emergency alert to every phone in town. Don’t waste the money. First, it’s not going to happen — but there are many who will think that’s a good precaution anyway. If the town lived in the shadow of a nuclear plant or a huge dam, there might be reasonable justification for fears. But terrorism? Wallingford? Second, if the system exists, it will be used, and, as its promoter says, abused, like hurricane warnings. Severe weather? The weather service issues warnings often enough, indeed, often enough so most people disregard them. Has anyone asked about cell phones or is it limited to land lines?

State: Tolls for I-95. While we’re at it, get them for I-84, I-91 and the other roads as well. Why not? Surprise is that only 61 percent is opposed, given the history. Considering that a lot of the cost would be borne by out of state transport firms, and that collection can be done electronically, it sounds like a possible and reasonable revenue idea to me and places the cost on those who use the service.

Meriden: The police video. While people clearly can differ about what they see, it is possible to share the situation at issue with many people and remove it from the seesaw of a he-said/she-said roundabout.

Southington: illegal use of the transfer station by those dropping off stuff. I would thing a system of charges would make sense. CRRA sponsored an electronics pick-up last fall and occasionally, which Southington residents can use; Meriden charges so much a car-load or truck-load.

The Editor's Notepod, Thurs., Mar. 19, 2009

Southington: 75 sick days allotted members of Police Dept. may not be insanity, and there could be a good justification for it, but like AIG bonuses, the public isn’t going to like the rule.

Meriden: the police video of Officer Lawler appears to demonstrate its value.

Wallingford: no challenger appears yet to take on Bill Dickinson? That seems almost incredible somehow, but I suppose that so many have tried and lost that the rest are discouraged.

State: Sen. Williams wants to levy an 80 percent tax on AIG bonuses of any execs who lived in Connecticut. I know everyone’s furious at the gesture those folks have given the taxpayers, but isn’t a law aimed at punishing particular individuals rather unconstitutional?

Wallingford: a $5,000 reward being offered for info regarding the setter of the trap that caught the owl. Information here reveals that this trap was an illegal item on several counts. Hope the mystery is solved.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Mar. 18, 2009

Area: more and more local kids choosing state university system, a fact which makes a whole lot of sense, given both the serious upgrades which have been made at these schools and the incredible costs of any private college. One can only hope that this is not derailed by the economy: the schools seem to be accepting more kids than they have room for.

Southington: Letter from Chief State’s Attorney’s office finds no criminal activity by Chief Daly. I’m happy for that, but I doubt that the letter will have settled the smoldering issues between the chief and the union.

Southington: The Pocock case revolves around what amounts to a leak about that restructuring plan, which no doubt fanned the flames . this has all got to be halted.

Meriden: the questionnaire for prospective board and commission members as printed raises no issues for me. They’re fair, and much better answered before, rather than raised when someone discovers them after they’ve been confirmed. Should have been done many years ago.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Mar. 17, 2009

Meriden: the questionnaire sent to nominees seems to me to make some sort of sense, since there has usually not been a serious review until someone has already been confirmed and THEN found to have some sort of an issue which some people would object to in a nominee. It must be used carefully, though, and everyone should agree first on what is disqualifying.

Meriden: Assessment appeals. We probably have the technology to revalue every year. But homeowners should consider, outside of particular cases, if they really want this, since in the last two assessments, the weight of taxation has shifted from commerce to residential. Revaluation can only increase this process.

Wallingford: DeLauro talks with municipal execs about the stimulus bill’s local effects, much of which seems unclear so far.

State: legislators considering raising the age at which assault weapons and machine guns can be used (presumably in non-wartime situations). Frankly, I don’t think they can possibly raise the age enough: human beings don’t live long enough.

State: Billboard issue was never settled last year. Now, “Luv Boutique” has begun participating in the “Adopt-a-Highway” program. People are unhappy.

Meriden: The efforts of the Humane Society on behalf of those cats rescued from Summer Street last year, are phenomenal — and expensive. Donation and support clearly needed.

Southington: Meridian still interested in and working for that special Greenway Commons district bill in the legislature, to clean up and develop the Ideal Forging property. Good.

State: Truck company owner in the Avon Mtn crash in July of 2005, finally pleads in his case.

Meriden: good luck to the new sewage treatment plant manager and crew who seem to be as interested in their successful cleansing work as the rest of us.

Wallingford: the potential community value of the linear trail, as aided by these funds, in hard to underestimate.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Mar. 16, 2009

Southington: (and no doubt other places) the problem of including recent history in the curriculum. It’s a labeling question in a way: at what point do “Current Events” become “History”? And, naturally, as time passes, that point moves slowly forward in rhythm but not necessarily in parallel lock-step, with the present.

Wallingford: surely, the issue about surveying property before construction is whether it costs more to survey or to defend a lawsuit. Most of the professionals seem to be in favor the town’s requirement, and it is certainly a whole lot easier to get a survey first and not have to remove a part of your house later. And the survey rule can be waived in a proper case.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Mar. 15, 2009

Area: legislators and bills. It's probably worth mentioning that the number of bills introduced by individual legislators is not really much of a measure of how a legislator performs.

Meriden: Teen programs completely threatened by elimination of what is actually a very small amount of cash. This may be a demonstration of the multiplier effect of government money -- or not, depending on ideology, But loss of funds will end these programs or seriously imperil function.

State: Legislators getting together on compromises on FOI posting rules for public websites. I find it hard to believe that even the smallest town in this state cannot find someone, and someone at a low cost, to set up and manage a half-0way decent website which merely posts meetings and minutes in a timely manner.

Meriden: Sports programs to go in the upcoming year. Is the issue of wage freeze or something similar not even to be mentioned in Meriden? Just cut away at the 20 percent of the budget which is not personnel?

Wallingford: Story about library usage increasing, as it usually does, during tough times by folks looking for jobs. Yet the library is always the easiest place to reduce hours and trim staff, since there's no public safety involved!

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Mar. 14, 2009

Southington: logo discussion of Southington High School. A fascinating project for students. One taste of commercial world.

Area: When the snow melts out, what we see everywhere are the moraines of sand and dirt left by the retreating ice. Plus, of course, quite a lot of damage.

Meriden: disappearance of the Castle Bank logo will be missed in the city.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Mar. 13, 2009

Southington: Town Manager Weichsel has certainly taken the bull by the horns in setting budget and assuming there will be a wage freeze. If he makes it an arbitration issue, we’ll all see what happens. Is this the best – the only? – way to proceed?

Wallingford: Generators at strategic locations to help during peak demand. Makes sense to me, and $10 million is probably peanuts.

Southington: the dispute between police union and chief seems not to be helped by selection of ex-Hartford chief. If that’s what’s going on, stop and find someone both sides accept.

The Editor's Notepod, Thurs., Mar. 12, 2009

State: That exchange between Calhoun and the reporter apparently didn’t do the reporter any favors, and I suspect that the tone probably had something to do with public reaction. I would think that non-fans, much though they might appreciate the principle of supporting UConn through income from the athletic program (and using that as a justification for substantial salaries), would object to $1.5 million salaries for coaches. Is that really what is required to have a “good” program?

Meriden: City Planning Commission formally approves the Plan of Conservation and Development. This is the other shoe dropping and no more than expected. I still object to development on Cathole Mtn.

Meriden: I’d really like to hear a fuller discussion about this class level discussion in the school system. I can’t really think that how the kids are categorized can make much difference to their performance or to the scores on the SATs, since it wouldn’t really change the teaching would it? Any comments on these categories?

Meriden: Councilors told by board of ethics to abstain in votes which affect organizations with which they have connections. This is why we have a board of ethics.

Southington: the West Street School will soon become the responsibility of the Historical Society, joining the South End School. It’s a very old structure, of course, but the years have rolled by and the Alumni association which ran it has dwindled inevitably.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Mar. 11, 2009

Meriden: More cuts in the budget even with stimulus package. This is the Board of Ed’s plan. Well, you need a plan. This looks like perhaps the one most designed to cause pain. What happens if the school system simply stops providing bus service and everyone walks? Probably unacceptable, given that the trend has been to encourage everyone to ride the bus because of danger. So when all this happens and these cuts are made, whether it’s fewer teachers or no sports or whatever, is the government going to give everyone a pass on No Child Left Behind, or is that a thing of the past?

Wallingford: request for more salt and overtime. Once again, it’s clear that the possibility of snow falling on weekends results in an overtime issue. I think it’s great that the guys get whatever it is for double-time/overtime/Sunday pay, but in this economy, it’s fair to think about renegotiating.

Meriden: Chief Trainor pitches the firehouse. Non-profit directors pitch their programs. Kendzior warns. It’s a terrible problem trying to reach this sort of decision without knowing what the state budget will do and where the federal relief funds will come down.

Southington: The group home meeting takes place and the DCF commissioner will come and take a look. That’s fair enough, and the legislators are doing their bit. But the experience shows that most of these homes work. Residents must also be aware that no “guarantee” can possibly be made that some incident could not happen, any more than they themselves can “guarantee” that someone in the neighborhood won’t be revealed as a criminal of some sort. It’s an impossibility.

Wallingford: bad luck on getting the Parlor Car on its way to Willimantic, although there’ll be another try when the truck difficulties are straightened out.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Mar. 10, 2009

State: The bill regarding the Catholic Church. Actually, word has been received that it is withdrawn . . . only to be referred to the Attorney General for investigation, along with all the other denominations. I cannot think of a worse idea.

State: The leghold trap issue. I see no serious economic issue which requires continued use of this device. There are a trappers who use them, but there are other means.

Cheshire: Library gets reduced hours in the budget. Why is the library always such an easy target?

Meriden: Again, here is the list of budget cuts, all the most vulnerable program and all the places where the need is greatest. We need a better plan.

Meriden: Ross Gulino’s nomination. The question remains, though: even if Gulino, the nominee, has signed over all interest in the land, and his corporation has quit-claimed the land to Gulino’s father, the father remains a plaintiff in that case. Is the city prepared to say that a father’s lawsuit in a land case, land being heritable, is free from any influence upon the son? And I think Gulino should clarify his statements about what he approves of or does not approve of regarding the ridgetop law.

Wallingford: Skating. It begins to seem very unlikely that any pond in this neck of the woods will ever be deemed suitable for skating, since it requires 7or 8 inches of ice to hold a truck to push off the snow. Liability triumphant.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Mar. 9, 2009

Meriden: Okay, unions. Kendzior has made his choices, most of which are fairly irritating, but it’s probably what he needs to do to bring the budget down. Are you folks going to go through the bumping business, and push the people at the bottom of the list into the street, or are you going to start discussing a 10 percent cut in pay for everyone? The balls in that court. I doubt that higher taxes will fly.

Area: debt collection. Seems there’s a fine art in seeking cash from the heirs of the recently deceased. Nice touch, playing upon a person’s brand loyalty, which we all know is so carefully returned.

Southington: “Blizzard Blast” at Camp Sloper for Scouts didn’t exactly involve much snow, but no doubt was fun anyway.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Mar. 8, 2009

State: Non-partisan board of education elections. It's an interesting idea: the "terrible" example of Mike Reynolds' case is cited in the story and certainly challenges the notion that the person with the most votes wins the election. But it is worth noting that as they actually operate, party alignments on the B of E doesn't normally mean a whole lot.

Meriden: Cutting neighborhood preservation funding and bulky waste pick-ups don't sound like very good ideas to me. This is all about saving the cost of one or two or three individual salaries, and thus being able to lay off employees along with the services. That is counter productive, economically. Deal with the unions. Everyone takes a 5 or 10 percent cut and we continue to provide services. Has anyone asked the unions for this approach?

Wallingford: Early College Experience, in which high school students take college courses, perhaps enabling them to enter as college sophomores or at least 2nd semester freshmen. A great idea, but what's the hurry? One problem with a lot of college freshmen is that they are fairly immature in relation to self-motivated study. Is this program addressing that aspect of the college student?

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Mar. 7, 2009

Southington: the rhetoric concerning the proposed group home is a little shrill, but, although the state can by statute decide where it wants to place a home regardless of zoning, it would be well-advised to do more advance work. on the other hand, the reason for the statutory authority is probably because of extreme NIMBY to begin with.

State: the legislature has to deal with the same sex marriage issue after the court decision last year. It is startling to me to think that anyone imagines that a marriage between two persons of the same sex will somehow invalidate, beleaguer, destroy, threaten or otherwise harm anyone else's opposite sex marriage.

Meriden: Code walks continue to be a good way of sharing information, attitudes and possible remedies among enforcement officers and elected officials.

Southington: Slider's Bar seems to have generated some parking issues in the neighborhood. Certainly no one wants to make issues, so some discussion and education are in order.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Mar. 6, 2009

Southington: Charter revision considers budget by referendum. This is a very interesting proposition with lots to be said on both sides.

Wallingford: The public works site on route 150. Crucial to the department’s work? Why not tell someone why? Otherwise, clean it up pronto.

The Editor's Notepod, Thurs., Mar. 5, 2009

Meriden: It’s not an auto facility it’s a used auto facility on Murdock Ave. Does that matter? How is a community to determine what is acceptable and what is not, and who gets to decide? I imagine there are few who would urge eminent domain in such a situation, but how else to proceed?

Southington: report card revision. This is something which is done periodically, I suppose, but this time they will be going to computerize it, which should make storage easier. Perhaps. On the other hand, how much need is there for an elementary school student’s grade records and teachers’ comments to be examined in later years?

Area: there have been a lot of fires lately. People should exercise extra care. I note the siding in the photos today, and wonder if vinyl siding is used, how it affects burning characteristics.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Mar. 4, 2009

Meriden: Rohde names his names: 53 appointments is a lot. Probably most notable is the Ross Gulino seat on the Planning Commission; also, the ouster of two on the ZBA. One may wonder what the purpose of these boards is supposed to be, and this wondering should be in public.

Wallingford: What does the decline in school population portend, if anything?

Meriden: Reaction to the fire station closing. This isn’t the first time this idea has been put forth by the manager: it was at least considered in 2005 and also 2003. It was studied then and there is probably material still on hand and still relevant. What’s more, the city spent $800,000 back in 1995-96 on modernizing the place.

Wallingford: Death of an Owl. We hope it does raise awareness and help get rid of the plague of leghold traps permanently.

Cheshire: Reducing overtime pay and road work duty for cops isn’t exactly the same as reducing pay — or is it?

Cheshire: Retirement incentives. If too many apply, not all may be chosen!

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Mar. 3, 2009

Meriden: budget cuts. Wouldn’t it really be better for every city employee to take a 5% pay cut, or even to forego next year’s contractual increases rather than lay off people, close firehouses, shut down cultural operations and increase the jobless rate?

State: I ask the same question. The story about introducing additional progressive steps to the state income tax -- in effect, the very lowest incomes pay 3%, everyone else, 5% — is interesting, since so many seem so incredulous that the state would ask wealthier individuals to contribute higher rates. But why not push through 5 % cuts across the board? 5% of $20 billion is $1 billion, which would take us a long way toward fiscal solvency. Throwing people — even state employees — doesn’t do that, and it tends to heap other work on the shoulders of remaining people and make the public annoyed. Come on!

Meriden and everywhere: Fraud via US mail, letters with checks and so forth. Be vigilant!

Meriden: and a welcome to Robert V. Cappelletti — 2 ps, 2 ls and 2 ts — as new head of the Housing Authority. Good luck to him and he’s got a challenge or two to face.

State: The death penalty discussion in a move to end the death penalty. I’m in favor of that personally, if for no other reason than death penalty cases, from beginning to end, are dragged out and expensive, since no stone can remain unturned in a death case. Ten, 12, years in jail before executions are actually carried out? That’s too long and there’s no way, really, to shorten them. It’s a point of principle with many people, and that’s easy to understand. But, as has been seen, persons convicted are often not the perpetrators; if the suspect is dead, there’s no way to exonerate him.

Meriden: College prep sessions, even at middle school level, make sense, because decisions have to be made by kids at an early age.

Area: pension fund balances, like every other investment, sinking!

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Mar. 2, 2009

Southington: Budget and that third captain. Since the case was made, apparently, that the third captain would re-write policies, the manager shrewdly said that someone else could do that job and cut it, along with a couple of empty posts. This will be a tough year to get funds restored to any budget.

Meriden: a welcome back to Mike Hatch at the Lunchbox. A business since 1943, it’s had essentially two operators in 65 years. That’s a pretty good record.

Southington: Industrial Condo planned. That sounds like a fairly logical idea, given the demise of most large industrial sites. Or is it, in another sense, a return to pre-industrial society where most goods were manufactured on site for local markets? Probably not.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Mar. 1, 2009

Cheshire: A button company. There’s some information I never had a clue about. That’s cool.

Wallingford/area: the collapsing economy stresses hospital resources, patient options. Another reason to enact universal health care of some kind!

Meriden: The pending lawsuits challenging the regulation and protection of the city’s ridgelines. If these cases go against the city, and owners are allowed to carve up these summits any way they like – and by “any way” one means almost any activity, since almost any visible activity will devalue the public’s collective rights in these assets – the city may just as well pack up the rule and forget aesthetics in the name of private ownership. It would be a shame.