The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Oct. 31, 2011

So everyone sees this snow storm as worse for Connecticut than Irene? Let us hope that this is no harbinger of the winter to come!

A $433,968 grant from Wallingford’s Electric Division for energy-saving projects will let a revamping of heating and air conditioning systems in town schools move forward, part of an ongoing refurbishing of school buildings. It makes sense to do these projects concurrently.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Oct. 30, 2011

It’s good to know that the swing bridge in East Haddam is operated by a woman from Wallingford. It’s a fascinating bridge with a long history.

It is interesting to read the financial aspects of the Wallingford parking lot which has become such an issue. It begins to sound as if the lease in question regulates and continues an existing situation.

In the wake of this weekend’s snow storm, will there be more or less concern in Connecticut over utility contact with towns? Granted, it’s only been two months since Irene, but a lot can be done in that time.

North Center School in Southington is now undergoing construction, on schedule. Residents will be glad to see this metamorphosis completed and space for town offices opened up.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Oct. 29, 2011

Snow accumulations in October, even at the very end of October are not welcome. New York State’s snow belt, thanks very much, and we don’t really want to live there. The good news is, though, that Meriden has just received – and just in time, we guess -- $164,000 in FEMA disaster relief for last year’s snow relief efforts.

The Gala in Southington for the Education Foundation provided fun for those who attended. We hope the challenge grant conditions were met.

Southington Chamber of Commerce has donated $4,000 worth of LED lighting strings for downtown this holiday season. They are welcome, and should work better than last year’s lights because, thanks to outlets on downtown poles, they can be plugged in and need not rely on solar power.

There seems to be a new suitor for the Powder Ridge ski area in Middlefield, though it’s too soon to tell if it will work out. It might be well to inquire as to the source of cash in advance of planning a deal.

Linda McMahon’s report to the Federal Election Commission revealed that she is again financing her own campaign to represent Connecticut in the US Senate. Wasn’t there a time when people ran for public office did so because others asked them to?

The Editor's Notepod, Fri.,Oct. 28, 2011

The Wallingford Housing Authority is going forward with a full forensic audit. We hope it puts to rest allegations of mismanagement, one way or another.

So Connecticut’s legislature, without Republican help, has enacted a measure to go forward with Jackson Labs’ biomedical research facility. We will all see whether it works out or not.

The Cheshire Education Association’s questionnaire to Town Council candidates seems perfectly legitimate, asking questions which are of interest and concern to residents as well as teachers. If they are difficult to answer, it may mean that they are good questions.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Oct. 27, 2011

Congresswoman DeLauro, who represents Wallingford and the New Haven area in Congress, is part of an effort to make diapers, especially for infants, more available and affordable to families who cannot afford them. If this means a decrease in the number of such children spending time in day care centers with soggy diapers, spreading germs, it’s a great idea, and that’s just the beginning.

Having hair stylists and hair dressers, who often work with the same clients for years, on the lookout for signs of skin cancers – just as dental hygienists and other professionals do – makes huge sense. Cosmetologists as well as dermatologists in Meriden, Wallingford, Southington and Cheshire and elsewhere are alert on behalf of what so many of us cannot or will not see ourselves.

Alpine Ridge LLC has backed out of its deal to restore the Powder Ridge ski area in Middlefield, dashing hopes of yet another effort to revive this resort. The good news is that the town of Middlefield owns the land and can continue with permitting processes and remarket the property – but be prepared for it to take a long time.

Connecticut’s legislature has overwhelmingly passed a jobs bill covering a number of initiatives to create employment, and passed on a partisan vote a measure to loan money for a biotech lab. We hope this gamble works out, but the vote leaves Republicans in a position to complain if it doesn’t.

Looks as if there’s another suitor in the wings for Wallingford’s former American Legion Building, now that the first proposal has been withdrawn, and, according to councilors, similar or identical terms. There would seem to be no harm in trying.

Wallingford’s Fire Department is handing out 100 carbon monoxide detectors donated by a manufacturer after an incident in which a mom and five kids were rescued after they used a charcoal grill indoors. These detectors are lifesavers.

Meriden’s Boys and Girls Club is sponsoring an electronics waste collection November 19 at Ragozzino’s on the Chamberlain Highway, 9 am to 2 pm. Collected waste will be sold to a recycling company which pays by the pound, and the goal is to raise $15,000, so get your broken walkmen (or is it walkmans?), TVs, record-players, VCRs, fans, and heaters ready to deliver.

Cheshire is having to hire workers earlier laid off to help registrar work for the upcoming elections. This is an area where close attention should be paid to proper staffing, since, after all, voting is kind of basic to democracy.

Voters in Southington should check where they are to vote. Due to construction at North Center School, there has been realignment, and although notices have been sent out twice, it certainly makes sense to check.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Oct. 26, 2011

Both Wallingford Public Schools and Choate Rosemary Hall are focusing on solar energy. Two major projects are in the works, both of which make ecological sense.

Nurses at MidState in Meriden are going to picket in order to keep the public informed of ongoing negotiations. It should be noted that this is not a strike and that placards are being toted not on official time.

The bids for remediation and demolition work on Factory H in downtown Meriden came in low. Since approval is expected as soon as possible, this old factory may at long last be gone by early next year.

Food service workers in Wallingford public schools are receiving a 1 percent wage hike in the contract agreed upon by Town Councilors this week. While it’s hard time to extract any wage concessions from taxpayers, one might admit that food service workers, especially part-timers, are among those who might most need modest increases.

1,200 trumpeters is the goal on Fontana Field, Southington for next April. Registering trumpeters will help the Connecticut Music Educators Association and the Mill Foundation – and also break the record for trumpet bands recorded in Guinness.

Cheshire voters have a ballot measure to address approving sewage treatment plant repairs. There seems to be an open question of whether and how much the state government will contribute, which is a reasonable question indeed.

The trial of Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden is still pending, as was noted in a nasty exchange between candidates recently. Lawyers say that justice delayed is justice denied.

Hyper-parents, the over-scheduling kind, are right up there with helicopter parents when it comes to difficulties for kids to overcome (and we all do both to some degree). They’re the subject of a presentation Thursday in Southington at Youth Services.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Oct. 25, 2011

Meriden police officer Evan Cossette, on “administrative duty” pending investigations has earned a weekly overtime by operation of the police contract, not because anyone is affording him special treatment. Those who may see this as a problem will need to address not Cossette but the contract when it is next negotiated.

Clearly, there needs to be a resolution of whatever issues are muddying the waters at the Meriden Housing Authority. It is not a productive situation to have a commissioner engaged in confrontation with his colleagues.

Meriden schools, eight of them, now have governance councils, advisory bodies required by a piece of legislation enacted to attempt the “race to the top.” Despite fairly complex election procedures there is no lack of interest and we will be most curious to see how these bodies influence their schools.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Oct. 24, 2011

Southington, like other towns with ridgelines and trails, faces a problem of the use of those trails by ATVs, which permanently change the land and tend to cause ruts and erosion. Clearly, ATV use is something to be accommodated somehow, but it cannot be at the expense of hiking trails.

The arrival of the Christmas Tree Shops at Westfield Meriden Mall is eagerly awaited by economic development officials as well as consumers. It should be a boost to the local economy.

A drop box for disposal of unused prescription drugs – so they don’t get tossed into the water supply – is a good idea in Southington and elsewhere. It may take some careful planning and permissions but it seems a proper avenue of progress.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Oct. 23, 2011

Wallingford’s North Farms Volunteer Fire Department’s 65th Anniversary was a chance for fire fighters to open their doors to the public and explain modern equipment. It was a moment, too, to reflect on how much this profession has changed in that time.

Members of the Lufbury family were on hand in Wallingford Saturday to commemorate the World War I pilot’s service by dedicating a portion of I-91 (the Wharton Brook Connector to Route 5) in his honor. This dedication process for Lufbury and others is a fine way to remember and honor people.

Southington Education Foundation is holding a silent auction which will, it is hoped, match a challenge grant from the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain. Money raised is used by the Foundation to supplement the town’s education budget for unfunded special projects.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Oct. 22, 2011

Wallingford Housing Authority is about to be released and indications are that there are problems. All concerned should proceed with circumspection and with careful advice.

Southington’s Apple Harvest Festival 2011 seems on its way not only to complete fiscal independence but also to showing a small net income. This is good news for the people of Southington.

Meriden’s Housing Authority is following the lead of City Council and limiting speakers at board meetings to three minutes and items on the agenda. While this is a sensible – though unpopular – procedure, it does seem that insofar as it is or appears to be a move to halt discussion of Tenant Commissioner James White’s eviction status, one must question the timing of this decision.

Demonstrating that learning through music, movement, visuals, and technology is the future of education, Lincoln Middle School was host last week to Lodge McCammon, a specialist in curriculum and contemporary media. He had Meriden kids singing, dancing and videographing to Isaac Newton’s First Law.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri.,Oct. 21, 2011

The ability of inserting microchips into dogs and cats – and other domestic animals, we’d suppose, cows, chickens and so on – was useful in identifying a dog lost by Naugatuck residents and found living with a Cheshire police officer. This technology instantly asks the question: if useful on animals, why not people, especially children, who have a tendency to become lost or runaway, and husbands, who need to be found occasionally?

Voters should be aware of the unusual situation in Southington that residents may vote on the middle school proposal without being registered to vote and without voting on the general election ballot (where those voting for local offices may also vote on the school question) by going to Derynoski School on election day to cast this particular ballot only.

We are happy to see progress on the second portion of Meriden’s linear trail, from Red Bridge to Platt and to see planning underway and priorities developing for remaining trails in the city. As planners said, it helps the grant process if some sorts of goals are articulated.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Oct. 20, 2011

Green plumbing is an incoming technology, and local contractors, interested in working with this technology, are training at the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 training center on Murdock Avenue in Meriden. These are heat collectors which actually warm water or air for circulation, not photovoltaic cells which convert sunlight directly to electricity.

Bread For Life’s annual soup night held in Southington high school’s cafeteria this week. Bowls of soup sold to supporters raise cash to buy food for families who cannot afford it themselves.

We look forward to input today at a public hearing on Jackson Lab’s $291 loan proposal to build a genetics lab near the UConn Health Center in Farmington. There are some strong draws to this project, but many will need some convincing.

Yale has acquired a copy of a suppressed 1920 play by Eugene O’Neill (considered by many as the father of modern American drama). Despite occasional Connecticut resident O’Neill’s apparent intentions, copies survived and should provide plenty of matter for dramatic controversy over the playwright’s life and art for years to come.

While we certainly applaud the ambition and determination of students at Platt in Meriden in attending sessions for practice for the CAPT tests, to be administered in a few months, we find it appalling that this punitive and arbitrary test, which does almost nothing for individual students, has become the driving force in education. Don’t blame teachers or administrators, either; just work to repeal the darn No Child Left Behind law.

Governor Malloy’s task force examining the status of Connecticut’s vo-tech schools (including Wilcox in Meriden) has concluded they should remain under state authority rather than be handed over to municipalities. We heartily agree with this conclusion.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Oct. 19, 2011

There’s just no judging results of any audit of anyone, Wallingford Housing Authority or anyone else, before that audit is released. We await with interest that report.

“Sloper After School,” created by Southington’s YMCA as a way of bringing kids to Sloper, to outdoor activity and to the skate board park, seems to have hit a nail on the head. The camp gets used and kids have a good time.

Southington Planning and Zoning is considering a future for the West Street. It’s a subject about which residents of that area should take a keen interest.

The number of large classes across Meriden’s school system has decreased, a welcome piece of news indeed, even if the average size stayed about even. It’s a difficult balancing act, but it seems to have worked out well this year.

It takes a while to figure out the exact cost of disasters such as Irene, but the figures eventually emerge. In Wallingford, that figure seems to have been about half a million dollars – and unfortunately, it isn’t one about which there can be much negotiation or planning.

Literacy Volunteers are now at home at 14 West Main Street, Meriden, former banking headquarters, There’s a certain ironic pleasantry about that location, in light of the protests to “occupy Wall Street.”

The key word in the councils which will be set up soon in several Meriden schools and in schools across the state (part of “race to the top” which netted Connecticut no grants whatever) is “governance.” If it were “governing,” we would anticipate change, but with “governance,” each council is on its own to make its views count.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Oct. 18, 2011

To accurately vote in the Wallingford referendum on parking behind Simpson Court, you’ve got to know the way the choice is set up. Reflecting how the issue was raised, “no” means “don’t overturn the council’s arrangement regarding parking” and a “yes” means “overturn that council vote about parking.”

Thomas Hooker School in Meriden shares with an East Lyme school an award for being top in Connecticut. This demonstrates not only a lot of passion and hard work at the school but also how standardized test scores, whatever they are or are not, cannot tell a full story.

Southington schools held a forum on how bullying laws are enforced, a procedure with which concerned parents should naturally be aware. A solid crowd showed up and demonstrated interest and curiosity.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Oct. 17, 2011

Meriden residents certainly hope that the investigations concerning police officers are completed and dealt with in an orderly and efficient way. While these investigations do come with a price tag, cost isn’t the only result of this process and it is far from the worst.

Congratulations to Meriden Hall of Fame’s class of 2011: Rhudean S. Raye, Matthew C. Dominello Sr., Rob Hyman and the late Francis Giuffrida. Residents will be glad to honor the new inductees either in person or by proxy.

The terminated investigation into two former commissioners of the Wallingford Housing Authority seems not to be as terminated as it might be. We hope someone comes up with a way to move this process along: perhaps a “truth and reconciliation” approach should be tried.

The Mattabessett Trail as it runs along the Beseck Trap Rock Ridge in Middlefield, overlooking Black Pond and a large section of Meriden has been a fine hike for many decades since the existing trail was laid out and cleared – and no doubt for many years before that when someone could figure out how to find their way through the woods to the summits.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Oct. 16, 2011

Soy Unica! Soy Latina!, now in its tenth year in Meriden, is helping Latino girls embrace their cultures and further their educations. Workshops and events with their moms, grandmothers, caregivers and others help strengthen relationships and, in the end, opportunities.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Oct. 15, 2011

A face-off between MidState of Meriden (backed by Hartford Health Care) and Yale-New Haven cannot be a good thing for Connecticut or Meriden or anywhere else, can it? Since all the hospitals and their umbrella companies are non-profits, is it absolutely necessary for them to compete?

Meriden’s art teachers, present and past, are displaying works at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center. Some are for sale, some not, but all are to be seen and enjoyed.

Decision at Bacon Academy, Colchester, Connecticut’s public high school, to go with something called baseline testing, “the new front line in the war of athletes versus concussions.” This is no substitute for medical professional care, but it is a tool to be used in keeping an informed eye on athletes at risk for head injuries.

After we all thought last July that Wallingford’s former American Legion building was settled and sold to a firm which wanted to convert the place to condos and offices, it seems that the offer has been withdrawn. We’re sorry this has happened, particularly because it means that this topic will once again be the subject of discussion and probably controversy for town government.

Arc of Southington wants to donate a tenth of an acre of land at 303 Summer Street to the town as part of Open Space and Land Acquisition program. Adjacent to the Rails to Trails line and near Goat Island, it sounds ideal and we hope the plan is approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri.,Oct. 14, 2011

Southington’s Parking Authority acknowledged the decision of the Board of Ethics and accepted its ruling on the conflict alleged by local watchdog Art Cyr. So now it is time to move on and do what the Parking Authority can to deal with parking issues in downtown.

Special education tuitions – Southington is spending $3.7 million this year, up over $300,000 from the last academic year – are the other side of the issue involving inclusive education. One of the risks in this discussion is a) that people will not discuss cost as a real issue, because it sounds heartless and is politically incorrect, and b) that nevertheless those same people will tacitly decide inclusivity issues on the basis of this un-discussed cost factor.

With so many people in Hartford, Boston, New York and around the country calling for change as Wall Street is “occupied,” the sentencing of hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnamv to 11 years for insider trading seems a step in the right direction. Yet this was billed by the sentencing judge as a victimless crime and we certainly hope that this man’s prosecution was not affected by the fact that he is a man of color.

City Manager Lawrence J. Kendzior is 61 and has enough service to Meriden to consider retirement, but councilors give him high marks on evaluations and appear to appreciate many of his very evident skills. His tenure can only be termed successful and for the city’s sake we hope it continues.

We certainly hope that officials can decide whose responsibility that path leading to Thomas Hooker School in Meriden is so that it can be restored and used. Residents will remember discussions when Hooker school was still quite new over preparing and using this path as a way to keep walkers off the roads, so there is probably paperwork somewhere.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur.,Oct. 13, 2011

A Christmas Tree Shop Express will open in Westfield Meriden Mall, the “express” being a shorthand for a seasonal experiment. If the store does well, it could become a welcome permanent tenant.

Weather and forestry experts say fall foliage in Connecticut may not be as brilliant as it might be, thanks to wet weather during the summer and a warm fall. We hope this does not quell too many leaf peepers, an important tourist operation.

We are sorry to read of the disappointing results of a state inspection of the Meriden Humane Society Shelter on Murdock Avenue. We know the folks there love animals but are stretched fiscally to accomplish what they want to do.

Southington’s Board of Finance has again rejected a probate court payment, Cheshire’s reimbursement for expenses, on the principle that the town shouldn’t have to have employees spending the time sending out state checks. Has anyone figured out how much the actual cost of this time is to Southington taxpayers?

Southington high school’s principal has tried to explain the “leveling” plan for courses of study, which will affect academic rigor, weighted grading and class ranking. We hope folks understand the idea and are okay with it, because it seems to be becoming as complex as the state’s method of allocating school aid to towns and cities.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Oct. 12, 2011

Meriden welcomes Lisa Pippa, former health director in Stafford and former Plainville-Southington Regional Health District chairwoman, as a new interim health director. And a generous “thank you” to Charles I. Motes, who has been serving as interim since August, juggling his time between the city and his full-time responsibilities as Plainville-Southington director.

Southington’s Town Council has voted to bond $560,000 for a new firetruck, to upgrade existing equipment. Other frontline vehicles are a dozen years old and back-ups are 20, so this carefully selected truck, which will take about a year to build and deliver, is a much needed addition.

Meriden’s budget gap has halted consideration of a maintenance center for the school system, which would add a considerable burden to the cost of the system. But when Maloney goes under construction, some alternative will have to be found because the present maintenance operation is in the cellar there.

Wallingford has put an ordinance into place banning all dogs at town sports facilities; violations carry a $50 fine. It’s no fun sliding into third base and encountering excrement, but dogs remain dogs and their masters remain only human, so we’ll see if this works.

It is interesting that Dutch educators are visiting here – specifically Southington – to see how inclusive schooling, also known as mainstreaming of special students – works. The Dutch have most special students segregated and taught separately as was the model here a generation ago.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Oct. 11, 2011

Meriden’s newly-designed high schools will include green features – that’s not a school color but environmentally green – as soon as everyone can decide which features seem most appropriate. Certainly, almost anything today would be better than the single-pane windows installed in the 1950s.

A second member of Wallingford’s roof committee has left the group, siting his belief that things are moving too fast. It’s a bit difficult to tell exactly what is going on, but folks ought to clear up any misconceptions at once.

A $1.24 million grant to Meriden from the U.S. Department of Justice will fund salary and benefits for four new officers for four years. This grant is aimed at bolstering community policing and staffing the special crimes unit.

Colorado’s Mission Wolf is returning to Southington’s Kennedy Middle School. This popular program helps inform students about these wild creatures and to dispel some of the prevalent myths many people seem to harbor.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Oct. 10, 2011

Congratulations to Gabby Baker, chosen as Southington Icon at the Apple Harvest Festival on Sunday. It’s an exciting contest each year.

Analysis of the senior vote in Wallingford reveals a strength in numbers. Only the election will show how those voters – those who go to the polls – really feel.

Connecticut, says Governor Malloy, is in the battle for the long haul over the ability to tax “remote sellers” – Amazon and many others – who sell goods to state residents in sales upon which no sales tax is collected. A number of states have entered this fray, and it should be most instructive to see how it turns out.

Wallingford will have to approve transfers from one place to another to cover arbitration awards and contract increases. While this may ruffle some feathers, and was not in the budget planning, those in charge have some experience with negotiations and with arbitration and cannot be too surprised by the results, whatever method is chosen to deal with the costs.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Oct. 9, 2011

Choate Rosemary Hall’s Kohler Environmental Center has a director who has had a long experience in environmental issues and curricula and teaching, and should be a great asset as this center is built in Wallingford and its programs designed.

Artificial turf seems destined to become something of an elephant in the room for Southington Board of Education candidates. Few are likely to endorse a turf project, since it’s expensive, but they’re not quite ready to turn their backs on it either.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Oct. 8, 2011

It is exciting news that NRG is planning to move forward with the Meriden power plant, which has been sitting, awaiting further developments for nearly a decade. On the principle of not counting eggs until hatched, we are cautiously optimistic about seeing this plant in operation.

The Wallingford Town Council, Housing Authority and Tenant Association are going to receive a “Grassroots Change” award from the Connecticut Housing Coalition next week for setting up the first election system for tenant members. This is welcome cause for congratulations for taking a bold and correct step.

Wallingford’s Board of Education, and, we assume, every other school board, is adjusting policies to match new state laws on bullying, with a particular focus on cyber bullying. It’s kind of too bad that just when we finally recognized the damage that bullying does, the potential for this sort of behavior has exponentially increased because of our electronic connectedness.

Family Day at Meriden’s Quinnipiac River Gorge Trail set for Sunday should be fun and educational for all – and especially fine with this very pleasant October warmth.

Wallingford uses alum to purify reservoirs and then scrapes it up and recycles it for other uses. This seems an intelligent use of resources.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Oct. 7, 2011

Meriden’s good news is that it could happen that the Maloney High School renovation project will be completed earlier than expected, as contractors feel the site is favorable to what they plan to do. We hope this good news spreads around.

Connecticut is adding more homes to its list of those certified to accept children, which is part of the plan, and necessary to raise – although the number is still well short of the goal. It remains a sadness that so many homes are needed at all.

According to a panel of economic experts, Connecticut has some concrete steps it needs to take to rebuild employment here. They include transportation, education and regulation: none is cheap.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur.,Oct. 6, 2011

Closings of Friendly’s outlets, due to corporate bankruptcy, including the restaurant in Meriden. This is a sign of the times, unfortunately, and the economy takes its tolls on everyone.

Meriden Maloney High School Band Boosters are campaigning to raise money – $65,000 – for new uniforms to replace 15-year-old togs hanging by threads in the band room closets. This is a worthy endeavor.

We are glad that a compromise solution to the fencing at the Apple Harvest Festival in Southington was worked out, permitting a neighbor to access the fun via wheelchair.

Governor Dannel Malloy has undertaken to maintain local aid to cities and towns at this year’s levels for 2012-13. This may be a difficult promise to fulfill, particularly with so many Connecticut residents watching.

It is disheartening that Washington attitudes toward railroad funding are shifting and negative. It should be emphasized once again that the New Haven to Springfield line improvements are not for a high speed rail line but for a commuter line like Connecticut's Shore Line East.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Oct. 5, 2011

A TV series feting the “glory days” of international flights featuring Pan Am? What can ABC be thinking? Sympathy for the Coyles of Wallingford and for other families of those killed in flight 103 back in 1988.

Local folks from Southington and Meriden are among those involved in the Occupy Wall Street protests. We look forward to seeing whether there will be any response to this expression of anger and distress.

Members of Wallingford’s Lyman Hall High School chapter of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America “won silver” at the organization’s national competition. Many congratulations.

Connecticut’s new Board of Regents got underway with a statement by its chairman describing a sense of urgency to prepare students to compete in a world where adaptability, problem solving, strong communication skills and curiosity are critical. There’s a lot to be done.

Rapid Bioassessment in Wadeable Streams & Rivers by Volunteer Monitors is a long name for checking the water quality of the Quinnipiac, assisted with a grant from the 3M Company. This seems an interesting and worthwhile task.

Hard work has produced new recruits for Southington’s Volunteer Fire Companies. Nine new people will make a big difference.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Oct. 4, 2011

Southington’s Drive-In, a town-owned entertainment, will hold a “Trick-or-Trunk” event on Oct 29th, theme-related to Halloween. It seems that the drive-in is working on becoming self-sufficient.

Irene Parisi’s column on Meriden schools last Friday has provoked some responses. It’s not bad to discuss, in a way, whether this is merely a matter of seeing the glass as half-empty or half-full, or whether there’s more to discuss.

Wallingford schools are happy with test scores, and so far as it goes, they need to be, since that seems to be what school is about today: doing well-enough on those standardized tests and “No Child Left Behind.” But what a travesty they make of educating inquiring minds!

Cheshire is moving toward hiring a tech firm to provide computer support. This is a good idea, given the propensity of equipment to engage in erratic behavior or to squat in the information highway and, like a mule, refuse to move.

State troopers laid off in August will be rehired, thanks to sufficient retirements. It is strange, and sometimes predictable, how these things work out, isn’t it?

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Oct. 3, 2011

Last week, local school systems differed in whether or not they closed in observation of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, observed by many Jews. Cheshire schools were closed, others simply excused those who chose to miss school, whether teachers or students. Our ability to see how other people make decisions is one of the most interesting aspects of our American freedoms.

We’re just as glad Wallingford’s Town Council did not take the subpoena route for investigations of the Housing Authority. Such an investigating committee is a tool to be wielded with greatest care.

Platt High School in Meriden is offering a forensic science class this year, and it seems to have gotten off to a good start. While there’s a fairly high “yuck” factor in some of what is dealt with, the kids have been forewarned and have signed onto this program.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Oct. 2, 2011

Lots of food and lots of attractions drew crowds into downtown Saturday afternoon to begin the Celebrate Wallingford festival. It’s one of the town’s most popular events.

Cigarettes cost more and more in Connecticut as the taxes continue to rise. Those addicted, many of whom suffer from serious stress compounded by the stress of affording smokes, are resorting to dangerous exigencies to find tobacco. Our approach to smoking leaves something to be desired.

Southington’s Apple Harvest got off to a good start Saturday, although rain postponed fireworks to next weekend. This is an event which draws folks from all around, especially for those famous apple fritters.

Wayne Barneschi’s Trail of Terror opened up Saturday night in Wallingford and will continue every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening through Halloween. Remember, this is a huge fund-raiser for charities as well as a fun hair-raiser.

MidState Medical Group received recognition from the federal government a month ago for showing how primary care doctors use electronic records, follow-up with patients and offer preventive care. This group has offices in Meriden, Wallingford, Cheshire, and Southington and these records are the wave of the future.

Jurglewicz open space parcel, Southington, offers an opportunity for wildlife and for folk to stroll. It can be a little hard to find but is well worth the effort.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Oct. 1, 2011

Meriden observed the 11th Silver City Brewfest Friday evening, and this time it could be held outdoors. Proceeds are headed to St. Joseph school so it can update its technology department.

Southington High School is reducing its levels from four to three, which is now the recommended path for schools to adopt. Other school systems have done the same thing, and time will tell whether it’s a fashion or a change which actually helps schools and students.

There will be no cuts in Connecticut bus or rail services. The bad news is that fares will rise – though less than anticipated earlier this year during budget negotiations.

UConn is to get the benefit of $1.1 billion project with Jackson Laboratory, which has given up on earlier attempts to set up this program in Florida. The project, estimated to create more than 660 permanent jobs at the center, involves building 250,000 square feet of new laboratory space at the University of Connecticut Health Center campus in Farmington.

One of the consequences of the continued rise in Connecticut tobacco prices is that cigarettes have become more of a target for thieves. We need to accept that not everyone can be forced to end his or her addiction by making the darn things expensive.

Wallingford has hired a firm to analyze its efforts in Special Education. This is a sensitive area for many and needs careful treatment.

Southington officials will begin work to design a sewer line to serve northwest areas of town and make them more attractive to business. Sewers generally do have this effect.

A 14-year-old driver in Southington, assisted by a 19-year-old and with a 16-year-old friend as passenger was apprehended driving erratically in Derynoski School parking lot last week, at a time when there were pedestrians and other vehicles present. We don’t think we can count how many laws were violated.