The Editor's Notepod, Fri., July 31, 2009

Southington: It’s kind of good to see some interest in housing emerging from economic ruins, but that inevitably means that land will be “upgraded” from farm to residential tract. Too bad the state grant didn’t weigh in at enough to push the town’s bid to the top of the pile.

Region: thanks to the calendar’s configuration, everyone has two extra days to pay taxes. Procrastinators, go crazy!

Cheshire: the town is look at millions to upgrade the water treatment plant and improve phosphorus removal, now tightened under restrictions. It may hurt, but it’s got to be done.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., July 30, 2009

Meriden: Scores on standardized tests rise substantially in the city and relative to other communities. While we continue to believe, as do many, that in some senses the standardized testing and associated teaching merely hones that particular skill, it is good, given the federal law and the rising horizon, that Meriden is having some success with it.

State: the results of the grand juror investigation of the Hartford governmental corruption should be made public at once and let the chips fall. Those under the gun should see what’s being aimed at them, and prosecutors should get on the stick and file charges. Nothing is to be gained by delay.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., July 29, 2009

Meriden and elsewhere: well, it’s great that the billion dollar “cash for clunkers” seems to be drawing customers. At least folks are interested.

Wallingford and elsewhere: skimming the info from ATM cards. It’s a part of the technological race between the crooks and the money, isn’t it?

Meriden: Rohde to primary. That’s good: at least there’ll be some sort of contest this fall.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., July 28, 2009

Meriden: 28 to 14 for Zerio over Rohde, now there’s a bit of an upset. If Rohde decides to challenge the nomination, it will probably be the only mayoral contest this year in town (and in the area as well, given the lack of opponent to Dickinson). Interesting that Barbara Sokol has changed parties, but not really a surprise, given her experience last fall after the election. But as one of three Republicans, she is elected as a part of minority party representation.

Southington: Only one of four incumbents is on Council ticket for Republicans. All five sitting Democrats running again. It will be interesting to see if Republicans can re-invent themselves. And, where it all puts them and their opponents regarding the Charter revision process.

Meriden: Dogs and cemeteries. There is something of a separation between what constitutes religious desecration and what constitutes legal nuisance.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., July 27, 2009

Meriden: Casa Boricua has not only a deadline but a plan for how to get there. We hope the contractor can help the organization reach the goal.

Meriden: Senior citizens who remain active in service to their communities are to be cherished.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun, July 26, 2009

Wallingford: It appears that the CRH headmaster indeed attempted to inform town officials before his public request regarding Old Durham Road and that the public reaction took not only him but officials rather by surprise. He did the same thing Ulbrich Steel did. It still appears to be a good idea and a reasonable response.

Southington: It would seem that if Zaya Oshana has some medical issues, his absence from board meetings would be somewhat understandable. He has announced he will not run again.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., July 25, 2009

Southington/area: hikers. Some basic rules about not getting lost. And some good advice, too, particularly regarding cell phones. There are some thoughts about getting confused in the woods.

Southington: any sort of plant involving petroleum and in any flood plain needs to dot all Is and cross all Ts.

Meriden: Plans for an electronics dump site at the Evansville transfer station will be much appreciated.

State: UConn law student indicted for participating in drug smuggling. One guesses that perhaps his progress to the bar has become somewhat impeded.

State/Greenwich: town is considering a highly restrictive ban on sex offenders, way over the top in terms of human rights, and guaranteed to generate a false sense of security.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., July 24, 2009

Wallingford (Tracy): probably a zoning change that allowed for new uses would be better than the long-empty commercial structures there now, but that won’t necessarily please present residents. There’s a fairly narrow strip between the railroad and the river.

Southington: Big increase in building fees, and this might just not be the best and most business-friendly way to raise revenue.

Southington: Reassurances that the Greenway Commons project is still on track to proceed, which was, after all, the whole point of that bill for a special tax district which was carefully guided through the legislature.

Meriden: If there’s a drainage problem on Hickory Street, the city had better have a good look and see what’s the matter. We can’t have a mosquito-breeding facility in that place.

Cheshire: An index of road quality is an interesting way to proceed, and can offer a good deal over the usual “squeaky wheel needs most grease” method.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., July 23, 2009

Wallingford: Well, both parties took the plunge and nominated extras, breaking with the tradition. It will be interesting to see what happens, and if it will substitute a popularity contest for a party contest, or something else.

Wallingford: PUC votes to participate in the study of the smart grid. It at very least makes sense to see if this would ultimately reduce costs of energy.

Cheshire: More on the hearing held for those two defendants.

State: Governor Rell, with a 65 percent approval rating, remains a very popular figure, ion some contrast to the legislature, who are perceived as the folks to blame.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., July 22, 2009

Southington: if the BJ’s operation can make a land swap to improve traffic issues on Queen street (Route 10) it’s a great opportunity to make improvements in that road for left turn lanes and signals and similar issues. Wallingford’s Planners did this pretty successfully when big box stores came in on Route 5.

Wallingford: Property owners will be unhappy, but the town is correct to try and get some clarification on the Mountain Brook ruling, which was a paragraph long and not particularly helpful.

Wallingford: It may be that both Democrats and Republicans will try to field more than the traditional six council candidates this fall. That will be confusing.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., July 21, 2009

Wallingford: The town has wanted that boathouse for some time, and regardless of the parity of the assessment, which at best is apt to be a kind of guess, it’s a good swap. The donor has stepped forward and made himself known, and it doesn’t really seem that he’s being outrageous. The center would be a fine thing.

State: Veto overrides, especially the SustiNet bill, seems to demonstrate a force of will in the legislature.

State: Anthem applies for rate increases of between 20 and 32 percent. These are on, apparently, individual policies, which rather concentrates the pain. And the justification is? Here’s evidence of why a public, single-payer medical care system in needed.

Meriden: the 2041 club case. It really seems that if the defendant, accused of running a whore house on the Berlin Turnpike, has been in jail since arrest in January, and since his bank accounts have been frozen, he ought to be given time to work out some sort of arrangement with his attorney. If he can’t pay for representation, he’ll wind up qualifying for the public defender, and that will not exactly be cheaper.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., July 20, 2009

Cheshire: Congratulations to Jose Feliciano, new warden at Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire.

Meriden, Wallingford: Participation recalled. It’s been 40 years since the lunar landing, but it hardly seems so long.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun, July 19, 2009

State: Amnesty plan for :”dangerous animals” nets many, including a house call for a caiman in Naugatuck, a 5-foot long animal, now residing in a Massachusetts zoo.

State: There could be a great deal said about the length of time it takes to bring those two defendants in the house invasion case to trial.

State: an inconsistency in funding for solar energy alternatives is really worse than the inconsistency of sunny weather itself.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., July 18, 2009

Southington: Charter Revision again. Now there are complaints over how the commission meeting has been noticed and who can vote on what. Standard definitions of conflicts of interest involve money and financial interests: it’s hard to see that either member Jim Verderame, as chair of the Police Commission, or member Dave Zoni, as councilor has any business conflict. But change in perception is always happening.

Wallingford: two of the plaintiffs in the firefighters case in New Haven spoke about their testimony. The “mixed feelings” about the case as described by the head of the Wallingford Coalition for Unity are altogether appropriate. It’s a two-edged sword, and the Supreme Court majority just turned it around the other way.

Cheshire: the community pool is back with bids of up to $5.6 million for a new structure to replace the bubble. Go to it!

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., July 17, 2009

Southington: The fallout follows the charter revision vote on the budget referendum issue. People are not happy.

Meriden: Capital loans will help bring AGC’s equipment up to date, which is a helpful kind of decision.

Wallingford: Brodinsky’s original idea, to call in outside towns for ethics decision was the most interesting. Beyond that, the mandatory full disclosure of any potential conflict of interest or any interest in a matter pending is far more useful to the public than required recusals. But there it is: doesn’t look like anyone had the patience.

State: Health departments cope with a regionalization push on the part of the state. It looks like play ball or lose money.

Wallingford: Everyone will be happy to learn that reducing the infiltration of rainwater into the sewage system will cost a whole lot of money. Not quite clear whether reducing the in-flow or increasing the capacity is a better idea.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., July 16, 2009

Southington: the continued survival of the Milldale freight station is curious and cool. Is there a way to incorporate it into the trail system?

Southington: Charter revision panel rejects the budget by referendum option. It is interesting to speculate which side of this issue the general public is really on.

Wallingford: time of use electric pricing seems a logical and sensible notion, at least if the goal is to even out the demand for power, and that seems a sensible goal. Not everyone, of course, would stay up to save pennies by using electric appliances at midnight, but some would, and if they want to save, it’s their choice.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., July 15, 2009

Wallingford: the die is now cast and the voters can see the Charter Revisions the council has proposed and which will be on the ballot November 3. It will be an interesting ride.

Southington: we look forward to the results of the Charter Revsision meeting tonight which will consider the budget referendum issue.

Middlefield: the Powder Ridge saga continues, with yet another suit by the former owners. Why is it that this sort of action drags on and on? It reminds one of the Cathole Mountain case in Meriden.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., July 14, 2009

Meriden: The options for the high school program seem to have changed from 1) facelift 2) rebuilding “like new” and 3) building two new schools elsewhere, to 1) renovate (a 5-year plan and disruptive) 2) build a new Maloney elsewhere then send Platt students to M while P is taken down and rebuilt 3) build a new M on site, then proceed as in 2; and 4) some complicated and unspecified build and renovate combo. No numbers, but everyone knows the bidding starts at over $100 million. The whole thing seems somewhat terrifying.

Wallingford: hearing on temporary signs and enforcement. The state of the economy is really irrelevant. Either signs are allowed or they are not, and it doesn’t really make any difference how anxious for business people are.

State: The big and ugly divorce case. While the matter is certainly private, wealth does have its burdens. It’s nice, isn’t it, that there are still people who can argue whether or not $43 million is a fair nuptial share of a $329 million fortune.

Meriden: funding for the Springfield railroad line remains sort of underway, with stimulus money, but there are so many related project downtown related to flooding and Brownfields it sometimes seems that it will never be done.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., July 13, 2009

Cheshire et al: tomato blight. Something we can apparently thank Mother Nature for is the wet-weather-induced airborne disease which afflicts tomatoes. Too bad!

Meriden: The Puerto Rican Cultural Festival took place in Meriden’s Hubbard Park on Sunday, and between music and food and friends and celebration — and some good weather for a change — everyone seemed to have a good time.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., July 12, 2009

Area: There’s a lot that goes into naming, and was once expected to have a relation to someone or something. However, when developers name their streets --- and it is hard to change them, once settled – there’s no getting away from the choice, whether the street’s named for the builder’s kid’s dog, someone’s mistress, or someone’s idea of a fashionable and classy label.

Cheshire: The library goes on-line with its overdue notices. Which is a good way to save a little money (only $1000 a year). If it works, it’s great, but if it serves to make people ignore emails, as they are reportedly doing, have we really managed to take a step forward at all?

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., July 11, 2009

Wallingford: the councilors have accepted, at least in principle, a seven-question format for the November election dealing with the work of the Charter Revision Commission. It will be very interesting to see how it all turns out at election time.

Region: The law on in-school suspensions has taken effect, and, although somewhat difficult to accommodate, as schools adjust, the premise – that students not be sent home, when that is often what they want anyway, and when there may not be any supervision – is an excellent one.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., July 10, 2009

Wallingford: Battle of the signs. The question people – and officials – need to ask themselves is at what point does a decent concern for unanimity and freedom from commercial speech, as it were, give way to over-punctiliousness about rules and codes for their own sake.

Southington: The switching in numbers seems to indicate a change in school districts, to keep class sizes consistent. The matter, then, for the school board and the administrators to decide will be whether the small discrepancies in uniformity of class size is worth changing community patterns and calling forth the families which must change schools and dealing with the issues that all entails.

Southington: The fee for out-of-towners to use Crescent Lake is probably illegal. The level of concern over the possible use of a public resource by someone who doesn’t actually live in Southington is fairly remarkable. Should relatives of local residents, accompanying their in-town residents be charged? How about mere friends?

Cheshire: The same questions should be asked about non-resident use of resources here as in Southington. And a real effort should be made to find out how many non-residents actually use or attempt to use any town facility.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., July 9, 2009

Region: Stimulus money, flowing through existing pipelines, seems unbearably sluggish. That’s the trouble with pipelines. On the other hand, in today’s aggressive world, we can’t have Uncle Sam standing at the back of a railroad car tossing out wads of dollar bills.

State: Health care bills. If the Democrats have the numbers, they should override those vetoes. It is time to do this. We urge Chris Donovan to make every effort to get this thing done. It so needs to happen.

Cheshire: Opening the church doors. It’s a problem for urban congregations.

Wallingford: Bill Dickinson announces for a 14th term. He’s becoming a classic.

Meriden: The business of buying up tax liens is a new one for this reader. It’s a novel way of acquiring property. But as satisfactory as any other, one supposes.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., July 8, 2009

Area: Towns expect property taxes to continue to be paid, economy notwithstanding. No real surprise here, since local taxes get paid first and can and do result in liens if unpaid. But town budgets are based on this, and a delinquency rate up a percent or two can have consequences.

Meriden: city preparing to accept streets which it is already maintaining. These make sense. It also seems to make sense to require that all new streets meet standards and that those in Planned Residential Communities mesh with some other or equivalent standard. As for the few old streets that are not now cared for, they’ll have to be negotiated each by each.

Wallingford: The town/gown discussion over Old Durham Road continues. The petition, per se, does not seem unreasonable, given the plans. The difficulty will be in the details — and the emotions beneath them.

State: renters’ rebate program is one previously unknown to us, but seems a good idea.

Meriden: Air conditioning story. Just shows to go you that there’s nothing that doesn’t do someone some harm. Cool weather and rain seem to punish air conditioner offices; but then the rain boosts sales of dehumidifiers.

State: the health department investigation of a hospital, causing a closure of an integral part of its operations without any revealed allegation seems a damaging way to go about fixing something wrong.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., July 7, 2009

Meriden: The only thing to say about bears, as observed this week in Hubbard Park, cradle of civilized nature, is “beware.” Keep your distance and your wits and leave them alone.

Southington: Dual fuel systems — oil or gas — now available at Hatton and soon at Derynoski and Kennedy. Any major user would seem to be heading for a gain if the capacity to switch easily from one fuel to the other, depending on costs, is a possibility.

Southington: crime of the week committed by two men who walked into the supermarket at midday, loaded up a carriage with 228 cans of Red Bull, and, without paying, pushed the cart directly to their pick-up truck.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., July 6, 2009

Meriden: One of Meriden’s semi-forgotten treasures is the City Park/Brookside Park public space. Dating from about 1885, the acres devoted to trees and open landscape have brightened the city’s horizons.

Southington: revival of the Quinnipiac River’s public rap as businesses along it in Plantsville hope for federal stimulus cash for viewing platforms. Good idea.

Meriden: It will be a bit difficult to weather the furloughs which will be on-going in various departments of government, but with some good-will, sacrifice, and patience, it should all be accomplished.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat. Sun, July 4-5, 2009

Southington: The new Education Foundation is an interesting development in the support of education. Given the tax limitations, it will be interesting to watch what boundaries and rules may develop.

Meriden: City is fortunate to have a manager who is not likely to flinch and will press an idea even if unpopular, if he thinks it’s right. Which also requires a council not to flinch from standing up to him when they believe he’s wrong.

Area: It is good that the Daughters of the American Revolution now see their mission as patriotism; there was a time when it was quite something else.

Meriden: If it is true that “sober houses” are unregulated, the situation needs remedy; so does the notion of clustering too many in one place.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., July 3, 2009

Meriden: fireworks remain hot, even if they’re legal. Judging by the reports (as in explosions) and the assortment of aerial displays, it would seem the law is openly flouted. Why was the law changed?

Meriden: crossing guards union workers getting summer jobs at other city locations. One has sympathy for crossing guards’ plight, but also for that of members of other employee groups. But one might have expected that crossing guards were aware that their jobs were not needed in the summer, out of school. What odd twist of the law a) makes them eligible for unemployment comp and b) makes it cheaper to employ them than to pay comp?

Wallingford: Reskin Drive folks, putting up[ with the culvert . . . and now the delay with rats.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., July 2, 2009

State: Dairy farming is an historic Connecticut industry, an icon of our history. But since the New England Dairy Compact was dumped a few years ago — it caused us all to pay a few cents more per gallon but kept dairies going — and with the economic slide, farms are in trouble. So are they worth keeping? Or do you want your milk shipped from Wisconsin?

Southington: competing visions of how the police department ought to report to government, as focused through the charter revision process. An interesting debate.

Meriden: George Stringer complains about Swain Avenue trees. The city naturally worries about leaving trees to drop limbs and also removing viable trees: lawsuits in both directions.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., July 1, 2009

Wallingford: The Wooding-Caplan would do for a new police HQ. For $67,000, the town has learned this interesting fact. Already there is deep wrangling over it. Maybe Wallingford should just give this parcel to Durham or Meriden and be done with it.

State: governor and legislators still talking, which is good, but no budget yet, which is bad.