Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Aug. 31, 2011

Former Jacoby’s Restaurant building has been sold, clearing the bankruptcy issues. This will be a positive for Meriden, since whatever someone wants to do with the property may now move forward.

Wallingford schools remain closed today, an issue about removing fallen limbs etc. from roadways and enabling buses (more than cars) access to schools and routes. If it’s a matter of safety, so be it.

A next and proper step has been taken in Wallingford’s roof project with the Town Council sign off on money for planning and design of these jobs. But nothing can happen for another three weeks, when the money can actually be released.

Wallingford’s office of Burns & McDonnell, an engineering, architecture and construction firm, participated with a 14 person team in the Pan-Mass Challenge bike-a-thon to help cancer research. It’s a serious commitment they made and the annual effort includes thousands of riders and raises millions of dollars.

It appears that if there is a referendum on the parking plan behind Simpson Court in Wallingford, and if that plan is rejected, there may be parking consequences. We hope such an event does not come to pass.

Meriden’s We the People Party didn’t land a mayoral candidate this week, and did not cross endorse the Republican place-holder Bill Godburn, who says he is unsure whether he will actively campaign or not against incumbent and Democratic nominee Mike Rohde. That could make for an election in November with somewhat less excitement.

It is good to learn that the race in memory of Johanna Manfreda Fishbein, who died in 1997, will take place this year on September 17, even though the town had to drop sponsorship. The Wallingford Family YMCA has stepped in with sponsors for the Fishbein Road Race and Community Day.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Aug. 30, 2011

Schools in Meriden and Wallingford out for a second day because of Irene. This is a tough way to start off a school year, but we’ve no doubt teachers and students will be able to make up for the late start in short order.

Cheshire’s Town Council has finalized its capital budget, including necessary funding for the wastewater treatment plant upgrade, which will enable it to remove phosphorus, as is legally required, as well as modernize equipment. The display of partisanship seems a little unnecessary.

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman is still receiving contributions to a non-existent campaign. It’s curious to see what investment decisions are made and how they work ot.

Cats and people were rescued from a fire on Randolph Avenue in Meriden, Monday morning. The accident shows how dangerous candles can be, though, and why they should never be left untended.

With many traffic lights out in Meriden due to power losses, people by and large seem to be behaving well at intersections and taking turns.

Among other items funded by the State Bond Commission this week was streetscape improvements for Meriden. This $1.2 million project includes sidewalk repairs, roadway improvements and traffic signals designed to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety.

Monday, August 29, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Aug. 29, 2011

It’s hard to believe, but teachers this year must deal with how to teach about the attack of 9/11, now a decade ago, which is an historical event to elementary school youngsters. Instruction in Meriden, Wallingford and Southington and almost every other school system will need to be carefully thought out and appropriate to age and maturity of students.

Danbury, it appears, is dealing, like Meriden, with new life for a long-neglected urban river, once enclosed in a concrete box. The cities might be able to learn from each other.

Southington agencies – the police department, library – are using social networking websites to communicate information on a regular basis. Other towns are doing the same and this process seems likely to continue.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Aug. 28, 2011

"Harvest the Arts" program in Southington will again transform a wall of downtown for the Apple Harvest Festival. This is a fine approach to art exposure.

Smoke detectors remain a goal for every home, and Roberta Ash remains determined to help Meriden folks reach that goal through the fund in memory of her son who was killed in a smoky fire when smoke detectors did not work.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Aug. 27, 2011

So a part of the digitization means Meriden police calls can be encrypted, which is already in the advanced planning stages, it seems. There are concerns about such a process when it means (as it almost certainly will) that the public has difficulty knowing when a police incident is happening.

A Shelton man gets so frustrated over parking in restricted spaces that he demands his own arrest. Most of us don’t become so agitated, but he has a point.

Increases in bus fares as demonstrated or discussed at Meriden’s Senior Center by the DOT seems regrettable but understandable given the budget.

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Aug. 26, 2011

Finalists are selected for Meriden’s High School project. It will be a big job and this choice is important.

That new parking lot for the Southington Public Library is moving slowly, and it has taken a long time to get this project underway, but at last is indeed happening. Director Sue Smayda will be happy, but patrons will be happier.

There’s something which hasn’t been revealed yet in the amazing story of the state employee who received a minor reprimand and was then refused work, but paid, for six more years. No one should begin using the event as a moral tale until all facts are on the table.

The report on fraud committed by 9/11 charities is appalling, of course, but these instances should not blind Americans to the good works which the majority of charities have carried out or accomplished in the wake of that attack – and of so many other disasters of all sorts and sizes.

Many people will welcome the arrival of Big Y at the Townline Square site formerly occupied by Shop Rite. And of course there are 150 jobs added to the Meriden market.

Meriden police have switched to a new digital radio system. And just in time, too,
as hurricane Irene barrels up the coast towards us with a clutch of emergency needs.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Aug. 25, 2011

Wallingford had a water main break Wednesday morning which interrupted service along a stretch of Route 5. Service was restored by mid-afternoon fortunately.

Folks are getting pumped up for the beginning of school, which happens in Southington at its annual school convocation at the high school auditorium this week.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Aug. 23, 2011

Mount Vernon Road, Southington, has been successfully relocated, a job funded and initiated by Lake Compounce Park to create six more acres for its water park. A reasonable request and one expeditiously completed.

Wallingford’s parking area behind Simpson Court, it turns out, is apparently better served by the proposed lease, now being challenged by referendum, than without, since it protects town interests in maintaining free public parking, at least if Town Attorney Janis Small is correct. It does seem that protecting public parking is a benefit worth spending money on.

Silver Petrucelli and Associates is the firm picked by Wallingford’s School Roof Building Committee to design 11 school roofs. Once the plan is complete, it will be time to select a construction firm.

Southington’s school book bag program which works through Community Services, now in its tenth year. Congrats to retiring students, now seniors, who have worked the program for four years, and to the new “Giving Back Girls” who are taking over this good work.

Wallingford students will see new textbooks, new syllabuses, new classes, all the results of hard work during the summer “vacation” by teachers and administrators setting them all up.

Monday, August 22, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Aug. 22, 2011

Meriden’s far east side wrestles with retail survival, as Lowe’s closes its doors citing consistent underperformance. If the city could figure out how to approach this issue, there might be a turn-around.

Fourth annual Arc of Meriden-Wallingford Ride which brought over 50 motorcyclists to 200 Research Parkway, Meriden, after an hour-and-a-half ride through areas of Durham and Chester. It’s a fundraiser which raised $7,000 last year, and we hope the event did as will this time around.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Aug. 21, 2011

Wadsworth Family Foundation of Wallingford made a substantial donation to a fund to reward information leading to arrest and conviction of perps of a North Branford home invasion which occurred last week. Home invasion is a crime which needs to be suppressed!

Wallingford’s Town Council has approved 1.5 percent cost-of-living increases for retirees, as required by union contracts. While opposition to such a decision in tough economic times is easily understood, the best way to approach changing such provisions is during negotiations.

The Southington Commission on Disabilities is working on funding to provide hearing-impaired residents with fire alarms which will offer visual cues to fire rather than aural alarms. This makes tremendous sense, and we highly commend it to those who may need or be considering such a device.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Aug. 20, 2011

Approval of that deal with state unions means that several of the most painful and controversial service cuts – notably, to Meriden’s courts, vo-tech sports and arts, termination of Connecticut River ferries, railroad service, DMV offices – are likely to be rescinded. These possibilities set choices, though, before state residents.

TWIST -- The Wallingford Invitational Soccer Tournament – set for this weekend, seems to be well-attended and eagerly awaited by a good number of teams. We applaud these teams and their coaches.

ARC of Southington is selling maps of tag sales scheduled in town for September 24. It’s become a fundraiser, and we hope a lot of these maps get sold and that a lot of people transfer their unwanted or unneeded items to those who do.

A protective vest for Meriden’s police dog, Anouke? Well, the police department has a considerable investment in this animal’s training and care, and it makes sense to try to be sure that no harm comes to this dog on the job.

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Aug. 19, 2011

The loss of Department of Public Safety’s Forensic Science Laboratory on Colony Street, Meriden, is distressing, to say the least. In one sense, it’s great to know that police forces in Connecticut are making use of forensic evidence in prosecutions, since it helps create good justice, but in another it’s a problem because what’s needed are more scientists and support staff and that’s expensive.

Cheshire’s Town Council bit the bullet, accepted an insurance settlement and ordered a new bubble for Community Pool. As Counselor Michael Ecke noted, “This is not the optimal solution, but this is the only solution.”

Settling Connecticut charges of deceptive marketing, Wells Fargo Bank will consider loan modifications on 1,500 mortgages written by Wachovia and Golden West which Wells Fargo acquired. If this reexamination works out, some homeowners may get a break.

Cheshire elementary schools will have faster Internet service now that fiber optics have been installed. It’s necessary to keep up to date with equipment that everyone seems to need to use every day.