The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Dec. 31, 2009

Meriden ended fiscal 2008-09 with a $1,400 surplus, not counting the $6 million rebate from the trash burning operation). That’s pretty remarkable, all things considered. The color-coded pie chart is informative if unsurprising, and kind of pretty also.

Southington: Parks Director Richard Egidio will retire on March 30, after using up all his accumulated vacation time. Best of luck to him and, again, all things considered, it was time.

5th District U.S. Rep. Murphy of Cheshire is making a gesture by sponsoring a bill which would put some more teeth into the “buy American” law. It’s an appreciated move, but one must really ask if it makes sense to require purchase of goods which are more costly than the "imported" alternatives.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Dec. 29, 2009

Meriden: the decision to use the park fund of Clarence Bradley for planning at City and Brookside is sensible, as is the need to include a general plan of improvements for all parks.

State: the arguing over who gets to make spending cuts in the state’s budget is so complicated by different versions of the deficit and by partisan positioning that it’s all becoming kind of a travesty.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Dec. 28, 2009

Wallingford: twitter account opens for members of the Senior Center, which is excellent for those who want it. It’s still good to remember that while there are many seniors who have missed out on the electronic revolution and are excited to learn, there are others who have spent years using it in the workplace and might be happy to give their computers a rest.

Meriden: facing the city is the high school replacement issue. While there are choices about how to proceed most economically and most effectively, there is no choice about whether the process must be undertaken. People should remember that there will not always be a recession afflicting us.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Dec. 27, 2009

The development of the Meriden Children’s Zone in an area of the city not far from the post office. Based on a model used in Harlem, the idea includes a tightly woven safety net for the benefit of neighborhood kids, and building community. Sounds good!

Southington looks forward to 2010 for several needed projects, including development of the former drive-in theater into recreational facilities, the opening of renewed South End School, and other exciting prospects.

Wallingford: mocktail recipes in the sixth edition issued by the Meriden and Wallingford Substance Abuse Council helps those who don’t drink to feel there is an alternative. The booklet is available free by mail and on-line at http://www.mawsac.org/

Upcoming meeting of the Southington Dog Park Association next week as members plan and dream for the future of the facility.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Dec. 26, 2009

The collection of 152 letters from Southington’s Captain Andrew Upson, who died in the Civil War, should be an interesting trove for those who want to understand our forbears better than they do.
It will be interesting to see how many subscribers U-verse develops in the area to watch meetings of local government. Meriden will be followed by Wallingford in this venture.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Dec. 25, 2009

Notepod wishes all readers the best salutations of the day in whatever terms are most welcome to the one who reades them.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Dec. 24, 2009

Meriden/Southington: both towns preparing, with state incentives, to go to a “no transfer system” so that emergency 911 calls do not have to be switched but can mobilize services directly.

Area: It was just great that those who wanted snow for the holiday still have it on the ground today, and that those who don’t want storms aren’t getting one . . . at least in our part of the nation.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Dec. 23, 2009

Local medical opinion on the potential health care reform: a) of course there will be issues; b) the bill hasn’t been enacted yet; c) some improvement is better than nothing and d) anything wrong can be addressed.

Meriden: increases in the fees at the Hunter Memorial Course would seem to be justifiable and sustainable.

The Meriden City Council Finance Committee’s decision rejecting the transfer of funds to create a playscape in City Park. Considering the cost of Noah’s Arc in Hubbard Park, of which a $100,000 state grant was a portion, it’s hard to consider a mere $40,000 as excessive or a reason not to proceed.

Wallingford: the school system’s energy audit is prepared to be incorporated into the budget as it is developed in January.

State: one can’t help but think that when/if the state chooses to avoid tax increases by reducing expenditures on necessary programs it can only mean that municipalities will have to raise their taxes to keep them going . . . or just let them fail. The results seem so indirect.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Dec. 22, 2009

No one should complain overmuch about local water and sewer rates. Connecticut in general and our local area in particular, in spite of the wretched industrial treatment of water supplies and the enormous quantities of chemicals and metals dumped on the ground and into the water over the last century and a half, still has a rich and cheap supply of water for general consumption. And, regardless of an occasional bad smell, thanks to lingering warm weather and an algae bloom, it’s safe and wholesome.

The Democrats’ state budget remedy seems to have rescued any number of non-profits from disaster, which is probably worth postponing the reduction in the inheritance tax to do. We hope it’s enough.

Meriden: council has set a preliminary hearing on the new high schools for next month with tentative vote on setting the option to follow in February. There’s really no choice about the matter, unless the city opts to let the schools remain as they are. The process is set in motion, it has been discussed already for years, and if citizens are surprised, they’ve probably not been paying attention.

Southington: It is of course proper that the PZC members themselves not be involved in inspecting the VIP inventory when the inspection gets underway. That’s not their job, but that of the professional staff of the town.

Meriden: The near collapse of a signal structure has left Pratt Street with fewer than usual lights. Drivers won’t mind, but pedestrians may, and certainly the manually controlled signal at the fire department must be restored. The lights at Cedar and Mill pretty much duplicated each other, since they work in tandem. It would be difficult to pick one or the other.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Dec. 7, 2009

The somewhat less-than-forecast snow over the weekend was probably disappointing to some, including those who may have wished to remain snowed in until Christmas, but to many others, the lighter snowfall in the area was entirely welcome under the “less-is-more” rubric.

Declining rates of foreclosure in the Meriden area, which is good, but an unhappy accompanying effect is a decline in the prices at which houses are sold.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Dec. 20, 2009

Meriden, Cheshire, Southington: school breakfast program. There was a huge conceptual problem with serving breakfast at schools years ago, which we have fortunately overcome at long last, with so many kids, regardless of parental income, choosing to buy breakfast. Who’s at home to make a homemade breakfast, after all? Too bad the schools don’t cook their own stuff.

Wallingford: congratulations to Mike Brodinsky, who has left the town council after eight years of service. His legacy is one of careful analysis and reasoned judgment, and he deserves many thanks from Wallingford citizens.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Dec. 19, 2009

Meriden (and everywhere else, presumably): the stories over the last few years about officials losing laptops while on vacation are not only scary but really annoying. Why should it be necessary to take official business and property along on a vacation? A vacation, whether for holidays or anything else, is a legitimate way to spend one’s time. Leave the laptop in the office. If you don’t have it with you, it cannot get stolen. Don’t be a workaholic.

Southington: seems perfectly reasonable to give stickers out to use the transfer station. Or the person on duty could simply ask to see ID.

State: It won’t seem to many people that state bonding to create jobs is going to have any permanent effect and may just engender expectations and jobs which will have to be met next year.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Dec. 18, 2009

Toys for Tots netted 2,888 toys for needy kids in New Haven County, gathered at Gaetano’s Tavern in Wallingford, Thursday evening. That’s a collection to make Santa proud and remind us all of the “reason for the season.”

Southington: the decision not to fix the West Street/West Center Street intersection will probably matter a good deal to some of those who use it daily, and may wind up meaning more if planned development increases traffic at the awkward place. But those concerned, we guess, will have to make more of a case, since the plan received a cold shoulder from the Town Council.

Region: the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association has a new website. Check it out: <www.qrwa.org> this river basin includes almost all of the Southington, Cheshire, Meriden and Wallingford municipal areas.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Dec. 17, 2009

State: good news on two counts. H1N1 virus fading fast. And now there are 900,000 doses of the vaccine available in the state. Does that add up to bad news? No Merely an unlucky guess, like losing on the snow insurance.

Wallingford: Positive decision reached by Town Council on accepting a grant for the loop of the linear trail. It’s funny how controversial a perfectly good idea can become when money gets tight.

The aroma problem seems to be back in Meriden’s water supply. We hope a way to remedy it is found soon.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Dec. 16, 2009

State: Senator Lieberman’s behavior on health care makes us wonder how he could ever have been considered a Democrat – and yet in 2000 he ran on the national ticket for VP. Amazing conduct.

At Wallingford’s Holy Trinity School, smart boards are replacing chalk boards as teaching tools. While chalk is not without its uses, this seems to be a quantum leap forward, one that all schools should have.

Southington: equipment that handles/cleans 7 million gallons of water a day for customers is about ready for upgrading. It’s only been 50 years. We’d say it’s time

Meriden: Since the neighbors are ok about the expansion of Hunter’s parking lot, it seems to make sense and should reduce congestion too. And, the additional spaces suggest that the ambulance company is doing well enough to undertake the task.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Dec. 15, 2009

Wallingford: Perhaps Thomas Mezzei of the Housing Authority is correct in wanting to place bids for five housing complexes out to bid on a one-fee basis, but his efforts seems to have run afoul of the various union contract. Right or wrong, one needs, on a board, to follow the rules.

Wallingford: The mock trials held this week by Wallingford’s middle schools, Dag and Moran. Knowledge of the actual workings of the legal system, as opposed to the way it works on TV or in novels is a valuable asset for all citizens, many of whom have grossly unrealistic views of the various processes.

Southington: the confidence-building program has changed its name from “The Club My Parents Made Me Join” to “Success Cafe.” The first appeals to a certain adult sense of humor, but the new name seems more appropriate to the goals of the club: confidence, character, life solutions for middle schoolers at Kennedy and DePaolo.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Dec. 14, 2009

State: Connecticut is testing criminal cases where someone is imprisoned for rape, murder or manslaughter to make sure there are no DNA anomalies. It sounds like a great nuisance, but if you were in jail wrongly convicted, you would appreciate the effort. It’s justice.

Meriden/Southington: both towns have seen their receipts from property conveyancing decline steeply, naturally enough, given lower prices and fewer sales. Curiously, Cheshire and Wallingford have seen much smaller declines.

State/Local: elementary and middle schools are about to stop using pesticides on the lawns. Pesticides which have prompted administrators to post signs saying “keep off the grass, pesticide.” Why would anyone need to put pesticide on school grass anyway? But it’s good that it’s going.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Dec. 13, 2009

Area: local towns each manage garbage a different way, and this was an interesting summary of the methods. It remains to be seen how the problem of ash disposal will be handled in the long run. It might also be worth noting that a lot of local re cycling is voluntary; there are market forces at work, but in NYC, people who toss recyclable cans into garbage can be and are often fined.

Good tips on how to judge the purchase and reliability of gift cards now that a couple of years have passed since the negative results of companies which were closed or which declared that cards had expiry dates. Businesses in Wallingford and Meriden (and no doubt other communities) are cited for successful use.

State: there’s a suit filed against a store which sold raw milk. It would seem that the decision to buy raw milk and feed it to your children is a sort of personal choice which has to be rather deliberately made.

The photo caption about the Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra says “Noise enjoyed at Meriden Public Library.” We are reminded of a 7th grade Meriden science teacher many years ago who took vociferous issue with a student – a piano-playing student at that – who happened to refer in a report on the senses to the piano as a “good way to make noise.” “A piano,” she wrote, “is music, not noise.” Do you suppose the distinction holds today?

Wallingford: The Campus at Greenhill, intended as a home for Mortgage Lenders, sits as it was when work stopped over two years ago. Taxes are behind, and there are scores of truckloads of earth placed there around the unfinished exterior and abandoned as they were dumped. Finding a buyer seems difficult but there’s no bankruptcy yet. Tough situation.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Dec. 12, 2009

Southington: the aquifer zones are laid out and the process will begin of letting those running businesses within the zones that certain hazardous materials must be controlled and various precautions taken. This is for the benefit, ultimately, of water we all drink.

Meriden: a fast-food outlet – unfamiliar to many – is readying for opening on East Main Street, which is welcome news. The item about Jake’s Hamburgers suggests it aims for an image from the time in the 1920s when burgers were still a new idea – and there are still people who recall such times.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Dec. 11, 2009

Meriden: Brookside and City Parks have been neglected for years. A little attention and focus is more than overdue for both.

Wallingford: is there something which strikes anyone odd about the partisan nature of the Housing Authority? How can it possibly matter whether a Republican or a Democrat runs these meetings? Is there a partisan strategy about making housing policy?

Meriden: Only one proposal was received for the operation of Meriden-Markham Airport, this one from two city residents who want to give the airport a try. The economy is certainly partly to blame for both the trouble the previous manager was in and for the modesty of responses to the ROP.

Southington: anyone can understand the reluctance of a property owner to consent to a sewer line across her yard, but when the line is necessary and of benefit to the community, and when the owner is fairly compensated, it’s hard to hold out against the plan.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Dec. 10, 2009

Cheshire: It’s hard not to be rather unconvinced by the idea of a $3.4 million savings to be found for the state in closing Webster Correctional Institution, since no prisoners are being released and no staff is being reduced. But Cheshire residents long-bothered by the presence of the prisons will probably not complain. Especially since the PILOT program somehow is not affected.

Southington: the new chair of the council has named a number of new committees. While this may surprise some, it is the professional way to do things and that committee of chairs is a really good idea.

Meriden: Well, since the matter was raised, the ACLU will have a look at the implications of naming the Salvation Army as the only group to fund-raise at the Park this year. One suspects that it may be only a look. The SA, for one thing, though a religious organization, has grants which prohibit proselytizing. For another, though no one has said so, the fact that none of the other charities which had participated in 07 and 08 stepped up to help plan suggests that just maybe not enough was given to make the effort worthwhile. It would be interesting to know how much anyone actually made.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Dec. 9, 2009

Southington: police are moving into Facebook and Twitter to provide public information, which is a perfectly good way of getting information out. It will be interesting to observe how this transforms either the medium or those using it.

Meriden: there’s a plan to raise fees at Hunter Course. No one likes to see fees go up, but we’ll assume it’s necessary, and also that if someone can afford $22 for 9 holes, they can probably afford $23, and if they can spring for a $1,140 for a season pass, they can probably cope with $1,240.

Wallingford: much discussion over the possible passage of additional dog-control laws. While the desire to formalize a protocol is understandable, such a step has the earmarks of the mandatory sentences and zero tolerance rules we tend to apply in criminal court and which sound better in theory than in practice.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Dec. 8, 2009

Cheshire: The town “failed to achieve expected yearly progress” on standardized tests with special needs kids, who compose about a tenth of the 5,000 children in the system. Hence it is on the list of schools which need improvements. To respond, and without spending any money, the system has a plan to improve scores. This is evidently a reallocation of resources, which could certainly help special needs students’ scores, but apart from improving scores, how does this help special needs students? How does it help anyone else in the system?

Meriden: The invitation of the Green Party to join forces, or explore possibilities, with We the People, is certainly interesting. It will depend on the match of ideas.

Meriden: The council unanimously rejected the administrators’ contract with the school board. The matter will therefore go to arbitration, and it will be interesting to see if anyone does any better after that is completed.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Dec. 7, 2009

Southington: The town’s public health system would be affected if state officials push for regional health offices. Health Director Motes is wary of such consolidation efforts. Executive order 26, issued last May, is the driving force.

Meriden: The new irrigation system, in the process of installation at the city’s Hunter Golf Course, should help make this publicly-owned facility one of the best.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Dec. 6, 2009

Southington: The senior center, with the help of the Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging, is preparing a mobile kiosk to help convey answers to questions that some of the aging citizens may have. The booth, to be staffed by senior resource case managers, is aimed at those who may have fallen through the cracks in terms of services.

Area: to pay or not to pay elected town and city officials (some do, some don’t). While it is certainly true that service on the area councils is “voluntary,” a major commitment of time is required of each and every one of them, well beyond just showing up for 12 or 24 meetings a year. Pay certainly isn’t an expectation or an inducement, but it is not inappropriate.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Dec. 5, 2009

Meriden: the preparations to disapprove the contract the school board made with the administrators in the school system is an interesting one, follows the path the Wallingford council took not long ago. Regardless of how you might feel about the contract as a contract, it does illustrate the problems of a system in which the Board of Education, which is a party to the union negotiations, is not answerable to taxpayers for the tax rates and does not set them, while the council, which sets rates, doesn’t deal directly with the union. It’s a problem.

Wallingford: without getting technical about it, it is hard to understand why, as a matter of principle, anyone should be surprised that Mayor Dickinson strongly supported efforts to defeat the seven charter proposals which were on the November ballot, some of which were apparently aimed at his own exercise of the powers of his office. Should he have supported them?

Let’s not become too en-mired in pushing numerical proportionality for minority teachers in school systems, particularly in Meriden. The issue, first and foremost, is to provide a welcoming and congenial atmosphere for every student who comes to the door; the numbers remain a goal but cannot be attained until graduates become available, and there is competition for new minority teachers with which the city is not necessarily able to prevail.

Southington: the delay in replacing a bridge on Old Mountain Road causes expensive and time-consuming delay in a number of daily school bus routes. It won’t be only buses which are inconvenienced.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Dec. 4, 2009

Wallingford: a case on appeal involving a murder raises the issue of required recording of all interrogations. Without regard to this case in particular, it is impossible to see why it isn’t a thoroughly sensible idea to mandate such recordings. As everyone knows, people can argue about anything, but without such recordings, there is no way apart from bruises to make a case.

Southington: a green payoff for Apple Valley Woodworks who have landed a substantial loan from the state to help finance the switch to more environmentally friendly processes.

Cheshire: students at the high school respond to efforts to continue awareness of genocide in Darfur. It is so easy to forget the carnage that continues in the world when we focus so intently on internal issues.

Meriden: work that has been done to bring Casa Boricua’s home up to code standards. It’s not a finished job yet, but people have come through for the agency, especially contractor Michael Ranno and builder Joseph Carabetta . . . and Joseph Luca who helped get things organized.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Dec. 3, 2009

Wallingford: for goodness sake, if the state – as it should – is going to regulate the potentially polluting activities and businesses within a watershed area (and what isn’t within some watershed area?) then it has to proceed in a proper way, all the Ts crossed, all the Is dotted.

Southington: since the special taxing district created by the legislature was vetoed last year and the project set back a year, it seems the climate has changed and that the developer of Greenwood Commons will need to find state grants instead of selling municipal bonds. While it’s a project well-worth doing, we are not holding our breath in this economy in the expectation of seeing it occur any time soon.

Wallingford: it will be interesting to see whether the dog ordinance and the zoning fines make it through the ordinance committee next Tuesday.

Area/Southington: the growing need for every consumer outlet to have an Internet presence. Sales toted up on Black Friday and Cyber Monday demonstrate this. It’s a challenge for everyone. Ten commandments of on-line shopping should be helpful to tyros.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Dec. 2, 2009

Cheshire: a prison will close to save state money. While we’re always happy to hear of a prison closure, if staff is redeployed rather than laid-off, how will the savings really happen?

Southington: it is to be hoped that the rules are being followed regarding executive sessions of the PZC. With interested parties knocking on the door, as it were, it’s important to follow all the rules.

Southington: the last two topics for charter revision were dismissed by the panel: the length of Board of Ed terms and the control of the Water Department. It’s something of a surprise that so little attention was paid to the two topics.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Dec. 1, 2009

Any group is certainly welcome to pray about the Southington Planning and Zoning Commission’s doings, and they no doubt need all the help they can get. Also, they are at liberty to invoke the Freedom of Information Law and to monitor events and meetings. In return, it would be useful for any group to be specific about how it hopes to change the rules in the middle of the game.

Wallingford: the PZC has eased its sign rules, following a regulation in Cheshire for intermittent signs (and excluding sandwich frames). There are, though, concerns about enforcement.

Wallingford: Carini Bowl arrests justified, and there is some sense to them. Better to try to avert similar arrests in the future.

Meriden’s World War II veterans received thanks for their service to their country, during a ceremony at Maloney High School Monday. It’s a portion of Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz’ statewide recognition program, one she arrived at when she realized how fast the nation is losing the fighters from this terrible war.