The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Sept. 28, 2011

A 20 percent property tax break for 7 years is the deal now approved by Wallingford Town Council for Workstage Connecticut LLC, builder of the future HQ of Anthem Blue Cross, which has succeeded defunct Mortgage Lenders as tenant. Tax abatement may do wonders, but it remains a two-edged sword.

It’s really hard to believe that the answer to how to manage drawing checks for office supplies – not paying for them – at the Cheshire/Southington Probate Court is to have the court do it. That’s the result of two towns jealously guarding pennies from each other and for citizens.

Cost is not the only consideration in considering whether to manage group home care for intellectually disabled people. There are long-term issues with such facilities whether they be state-run Southbury or private non-profits down the street.

It’s hard to believe that only Connecticut has actually banned the kind of “blow-out” pipe “cleaning” which caused an explosion in Middletown last year killing six workers. Other states want explosions of their own?

Mortgage intervention was the topic at Meriden city hall Tuesday evening as Michael Haynes, of the Housing Counseling Coordinator of Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven explained which programs might be available to families in trouble and how they work. There are plenty of folks who could use this kind of help.

Impact of instate tuition to undocumented students, under the law passed this year, so far has a minimal impact on Connecticut finances but a major impact on the lives of those eligible. It’s a situation which can be monitored as time passes.

Meriden Pops Orchestra and Guild seems to be coalescing into an operating and on-going group, which is a definite positive move for the city. A hat tip to Katrina Axelrod, who has worked on this and on the Civic Youth Orchestra, helping to make these ideas a reality.

Looks like the Barnes Museum in Southington will get a new slate roof soon, as the Town Council selected a contractor and as an Historic Preservation Grant will match a part of the cost. Thank goodness the successful bidder included real slate: the original roof has lasted 175 years.

It looks like the end of the road for protracted controversy over where those bullets were coming from. Durham resident Pasquale “Pat” DiNatale had complained that they’d come from the Blue Trail Range in Wallingford, but the expert witnesses did not win the court cases. Now we need to hope that everything remains incident-free.

Kindergarten is not what it was, and to make sure kids are prepared, the Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington and Southington Public Schools are hosting a three-day workshop series in October titled “It’s Not Your Mommy’s Kindergarten.” It seems a little rough on kids to set up expectations at so young an age, but that’s the way the world is.