Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Thurs., Sept. 30, 2010

Wallingford seems headed for a showdown with the Beaumont Farm over cars stored on the property. Sometimes these long-standing issues can be easily solved and we hope this one can be.

What could be wrong with a surge in science studies at the Connecticut State University System? New buildings appear to have helped the growth which is a one-third increase in science majors and a one-fifth increase in degrees.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Sept. 29, 2010

Meriden: A $250,000 grant from HUD could set the city on the right road to planning for Mills Apartments; a $30 million grant could really change things. Well, though it’s a small chance, there’s no harm in trying.

Wallingford: that Choate Rosemary Students and other American high school kids are looking at UK universities for college is a new and interesting phenomenon. That these schools are cheaper than Ivies is most curious; that domestic universities is not the only possible choice suggests we may be losing our educational edge.

Wallingford’s search for a site for a new North Farms Fire Station continues, with the same two properties now reviewed by experts. As one might expect, an expert report seems unlikely to change the minds of those who have strong feelings about the matter.

Cheshire shows alcohol use down among young people and marijuana use up. The substance abuse effort has been focused chiefly on alcohol, and may have been effective, but the community at large will have to decide if it can tolerate higher pot use while booze declines.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Tues. Sept. 28, 2010

Plan to revivify Meriden's City and Brookside Parks with facilities for more active recreation. It’s an excellent idea and will take a good share of community involvement and support to bring to reality.

The withdrawal of the Republican candidate for Probate Judge in the Southington-Cheshire district puts the race in a whole new light. Whoever steps in as candidate will have an interesting and intense time of it.

Southington’s Town Council voted to approve that sewer line which extends the system over the Quinnipiac and towards the site of the proposed sports complex, but last we heard it was conditioned on that complex proceeding. In any case, this sewer extension makes sense developmentally.

Wallingford: It is good that Town Councilors are attending Housing Authority Meetings, but residents should hope that their doing so means more than a mere extension and enlargement of the partisan approach to Authority issues.

Monday, September 27, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Sept. 27, 2010

The new buses for Wilcox Tech in Meriden won’t be ready, perhaps, in time, when the older vehicles are to be removed from service. Leasing will certainly be able to take up slack, but one would think that the vo-tech system would rent buses just as the municipal public schools do.

Massachusetts joins the “no texting” crowd of states. Drivers everywhere should get used to it, but alas, one still sees Connecticut drivers with their ears glued to phones continually.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Sept. 26, 2010

Continuing presentation of evidence is emotionally overwhelming in the Cheshire home invasion murder trial, especially considering that it all must be presented once again during the second defendant’s trial. We hope that the court system has some post traumatic stress counselors on hand following the conclusion of the case for the sake of the jury.

Plans for a facelift for a portion of Meriden's West Main will hopefully become reality during the course of next year. Included in the plan is a widening at the corner of Linsley/Lewis and West Main, where delays are frequent and a left turn lane would be appreciated.

Connecticut Walk for Obesity held in Hubbard Park last weekend in Meriden, helping to raise fund to fight this looming disease. It was an opportunity for a fruitful exchange of information, too, as well as for an expression of solidarity.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Sept. 25, 2010

The friction between Meriden school board and the council could be cleared up with a careful delineation of which body is doing what. It’s one thing to have access to documents, even when they are working drafts and not plans, but it’s quite another to become involved in discussions about transforming the working documents into a plan which will be presented and voted upon.

Meriden police officers are getting active training in emergency situations where it may be necessary to deploy guns. While all hope this will seldom be necessary, the pest way to prepare is through practice.

Route 68 study is on the table with many options running almost from the sublime – new striping for $3,000 – to thorough redevelopment and additional lanes for perhaps $55 million. It’s a smorgasbord from which we hope the State will make reasonable and prudent decisions for the benefit of Wallingford.

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Sept. 24, 2010

Neither Meriden residents nor those anywhere else should get too het up about average SAT scores. The test has about as much intrinsic value as the CAPT or the Mastery and is designed for a specific purpose (college admissions or demonstration of No Child Left Behind) which is other than the instruction and learning of any child in the system.

Southington: the new spelling system being taught in schools this year aims at increasing not only students’ mechanical ability with words but also their understanding of words. That’s fine, so long as they continue to learn to spell them.

Southington: proceeds from a new calendar, which the Barnes Museum hopes to have ready for the Apple Harvest Festival, will help fund repairs to the roof, a long standing need.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Sept. 22, 2010

Meriden is confronted by obstinate scores on the CAPTs, the Connecticut Academic Mastery Tests, especially in science, where methods need to be developed. If anyone can figure out a creating approach it will be new Superintendent Mark Benigni.

Wallingford’s reconfiguration has led, as promised, to smaller class size, a result welcomed by almost everyone concerned with education. We hope the other expected benefits come through as well.

Governor Rell’s decision to ban flammable gas blow-outs in Connecticut as cleansing processes is well-founded. It’s kind of hard to figure why anything flammable should be put to such a use at all.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Tues. Sept. 21, 2010

Discussions concerning the public comment segment of City Council meetings, Meriden. Opening up the floor is a democratic and open premise – but what effect is this inchoate voice of the people, which is often the most interested people, to have upon the decisions of the council?

The alarming reality that beds in local shelters are already full and Wallingford is trying to deal with those in need parking near its shelter which does not open until November 1. It will be a challenge, as much fiscal as anything else, to open sooner.

It was a really good decision on the part of the state Department of Transportation to put off Route 10 road work in Southington until after Apple Harvest Festival. The work, which was to have begun last week and to have been completed on the 28th, was just too close to the start of the town’s major annual event – and in the middle of it – for comfort.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Sept. 19, 2010

Anthem Blue Cross’ move to Wallingford’s Greenhill campus should be a benefit all around. If traffic concerns are addressed, it will be all but perfect.

A luxury bowling alley is planned for Foxwoods in the southeast part of Connecticut. That’s a concept we’d never encountered previously but it has its appeal.

Hybrid and compressed natural gas vehicles may be loaned to Meriden? It’s good to try these out, so the sooner the better.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Sept. 18, 2010

Israel Putnam School observed Constitution Day, September 17, the anniversary of the day the United States Constitution was signed and presented to the independent states for ratification. Presenter Carol Glynn helped Meriden youngsters begin to value the achievement of our basic law.

Surveillance cameras have been installed at Bartlem Park, Cheshire, to keep an eye on potential vandals. It’s a shame we need to protect our public parks in this manner.

Potential expansion of Middlesex Community College's Meriden branch. Let's keep the ideas churning!

Friday, September 17, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Sept. 17, 2010

The artificial turf project at Cheshire High School has been tabled. Lots of patience may be needed by proponents of this long delayed project.

Wallingford: Council may appoint to new members to the Housing Authority based on its own partisan wishes rather than on tenants’ choice? That’s democracy in action.

A vernal pool may be a feature on some of the land atop Cathole Mountain. It’s an excellent choice for Meriden to wait and be sure where it is before making any final zoning judgments.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Thurs., Sept. 16, 2010

The decision of Arch Chemicals to pick up its Cheshire stakes and move to greener pastures. The company’s support of science in the schools has been of significant importance.

Southington is considering changing creating a new industrial zone. It would permit smaller firms to begin business in land already zoned for industry on half an acre instead of two acres, which are proving too expensive.

There would certainly seem to be advantages to electronic record-keeping for everyone, and Connecticut doctors should get with the program. Among other things it could really lower the incidence of illegible medical handwriting.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Sept. 15, 2010

Anthem Blue Cross’ move to Wallingford – not to mention the pay-off of the back taxes due on the property to which it is moving, the Campus at Greenhill, the former Mortgage Lender’s HQ which has been left unfinished since the financial crisis began. Not only is this great news for Wallingford but it’s also not so bad for North Haven, where the firm was, since it’s property there is already being incorporated into Quinnipiac University.

Meriden: Evidence that when taxpayers complain about their assessments, the tax department listens. While this is probably truer for some properties than others (vehicles seem to be simpler to negotiate) it’s good to know that there is a response at government.

Cheshire: delay or not, it does seem to make sense to replace the track at the same time an artificial turf playing field is added inside the track. But this is a project on which citizens may well need to show their support.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Tues. Sept. 14, 2010

The trial of the Cheshire home invasion case is underway and began with vivid testimony by witnesses. It’s difficult not to share the horror of the events as the story unfolds, and consider the ordeal this proceeding is for everyone.

State: today former Hartford Mayor Perez receives his sentence. What would constitute fairness in his case?

Wallingford: while it might develop that a defined contribution pension plan for town employees might cost taxpayers less than a defined contribution plan, there’s a lot more involved than just making a change. Moreover, unless the stock market begins to make strong surges forward, it’s hard to imagine trying to sell any union or any group of employees on the idea that it would be good to switch.

Southington: it’s hard to see how that sewer line which would run 455 feet along zStreet and down to the proposed sports complex would not be a good thing under almost any circumstances. While the bonding ordinance passed by the Town Council is conditional, it would seem to be a good step to take even without the complex.

Monday, September 13, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Sept. 13, 2010

Southington: the Board of Finance is certainly within its rights to ask questions of the Water Department when it asks for bonding for projects. Even if there’s a necessity beyond argument, questions are still appropriate.

Nobody is happy to fire a contractor, as the Wallingford Housing Authority has just done, but when things aren’t going right, it makes sense, as they say, to part company. The work will be done eventually.

Meriden: the overtime issue at the Police Department seems to be yielding to the careful approach of Chief Cossette. The chief will earn a gold star if he can balance the interests economically without upsetting any other applecarts.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Sept. 12, 2010

A benefit of a hot, dry summer is that mosquitoes don’t breed as well. That means that in Central Connecticut, there are fewer reports of mosquitoes caught which test positive for the West Nile virus. Now with cooler weather, any threat should diminish.

It’s no surprise that defense attorneys want the survivor of the Cheshire home invasion murders barred from the courtroom during the upcoming trial of one of them. It will be interesting to see whether this request is granted.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Sept. 11, 2010

Southington: It would seem that discussions over possible change of venue for the Italian fest are a little previous. But anyone can surmise that serious construction and eventual development of Center Street might suggest a reasonable change.

Wallingford: there’s the old equation again between wages and budgets. The consequence of wage increases, bargained or arbitrated, yields layoffs in this stark juxtaposition.

Meriden: The question of airing citizen comments made prior to council meetings is interesting. Are such comments, often slams of the city or mere posturing “part of the program,” as councilor Williams suggests, or are they distracting and misleading to the public?

Friday, September 10, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Sept. 10, 2010

Meriden: Surely every one of those 20,000 delinquent accounts with motor vehicles on which taxes are due is eagerly awaiting word from the firm hired to collect these debts. The sooner it’s paid, the less the expense.

Wallingford: The good times are continuing at the Housing Authority, with a partisan divide growing abyssal. Now an audit has been approved, which may or may not result in anything from a nuclear explosion to utter tranquility.

State: the shoes (and lawsuits) are dropping hard and fast over the blast at that power plant in Middletown. From the reports issued in August, there would seem to plenty of opportunity for blame.

Southington: The middle school issue has taken a step forward with a request for funding for a study. It’s in the right direction, and, in spite of the money involved, it should be moved along with energy.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Thurs., Sept. 9, 2010

Southington: the town made a sensible decision by deciding to dump the permits for boat and fishing use at Crescent Lake for non-residents to continue to receive DEP services. The number of permits sold for a reasonable price simply isn’t worth what the DEP can provide.

Meriden: drivers on Crown St., absent police presence or some other control, will drive the way they’re going to drive. The need is for a through street in the city which allows a reasonable speed and a reasonable chance of reaching a destination promptly without a lot of traffic.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Sept. 8, 2010

Cheshire: Probably, unhappy residents can go ahead and end the historic districts in town so that the colonial-era homes they live in can be altered to the contentment of the owners. But, as a member of the commission has pointed out, the district’s aim is certainly to preserve history as well has improve property values, so if it’s a matter of easing fees and simplifying process, that’s a better choice.

Meriden/Wallingford: increased requirements for high school graduation were intended, apparently, as part of the qualifying steps for “Race to the Top” funds, which didn’t work out. So perhaps the rule can be eased somewhat, in consideration of tough times.

Southington Youth Soccer’s decision to help the Food Pantry with urging parents and players to make timely donations at their opening games. And congratulations to the league on its 35th year.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Tues. Sept. 7, 2010

Southington: the argument about whether a water tank is empty or full and whether any supervisory authority thereby devolves upon anyone is not very impressive. But the cell phone tower system was imposed on people years ago, and it hardly makes sense to worry about them at this point.

State: the proposed regulations for stream-flow and water sharing seem to make sense, and a better system for allocation has certainly been needed for years. The rules are certainly an improvement over first come, first grab.

Monday, September 6, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Sept. 6, 2010

About the only thing those Pratt & Whitney workers in Cheshire can do is keep working hard and hold their breaths.

Southington: Another delay in the work on the expansion of the public library’s parking lot. It’s kind of ridiculous to let the work lie fallow: it’s a simple enough project, requiring grading and paving and the current lot is an acknowledged danger zone.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Sept. 5, 2010

Increased graduation requirements, from 22.5 to 25 credits, don’t take effect until 2018, which gives everyone, in Meriden and elsewhere, plenty of time. But more credits will of necessity cost a bit more.

Wallingford: Judge Berdon has taken a personal tour of the American Legion Building, the subject for so long of such a heated debate over its future. We hope Berdon is able to make a decision with dispatch, for it’s time to resolve the matter.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Sept. 4, 2010

Meriden: there are lots of ways to beat the heat, but unfortunately, not many of them can be tried inside a school with 500 or 600 other folks around. Popsicles work for some, but this is the sort of situation to expect when school begins before Labor Day.

Wallingford: it is good that the school system has responded quickly and apparently successfully to the issues around bus schedules and pick-up/drop-off points. While merely peripheral to education and not central to the learning experience, no one should not forget that the “devil is in the details.”

State: the high cost of transportation congestion has been more than demonstrated. Can anyone need more evidence that the emphasis should go on mass transit in this small state where, absent congestion, people can get almost anywhere else within an hour?

Friday, September 3, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Sept. 3, 2010

Meriden: efforts to update Casa Boricua to meet today’s fire codes are finally almost complete. It’s not an easy task to transform an old building into one which meets modern codes.

State: in addressing the deficit, it certainly would be sensible to combine tax increases with spending cuts in some sort of tolerable combination. But getting politicians to agree on such a premise seems all but impossible.

Meriden: the first installment of rent for a city-owned billboard has been received. This arrangement, part of which will benefit the Humane Society, which has needed every penny it could get for many years, may stick in a few craws, but it will bring the city income.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Sept. 1, 2010

Meriden: the veteran’s housing on Hanover will be reserved for vets from Meriden, will it not? This issue does not seem to have been addressed, or whether it matters.

Wallingford: The glitches in the school bus system went forward as expected. Surely this is a situation which can be ameliorated fairly easily.

Cheshire’s town council has approved a capital budget for $7.1 million. Since it does not include the artificial turf funding, many will be keeping an eye on that issue to see how it works out.