The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Nov. 23, 2011

Meriden’s teachers have reached an agreement with the Board of Education in what both sides call a fair contract. It seems quite reasonable under today’s economic conditions.

Meriden’s Planning Commission has voted to change the city’s Plan of Development to preserve single-family housing in several neighborhoods, beginning with an area near Roger Sherman School. Since 53.9 percent of housing in the city was single-family a couple of years ago, it isn’t as if there’s a shortage of multi-family units, and a mix is a good plan.

Turkey dinner at Alta in Southington, served by students and faculty to students, their families, administrators and friends. It’s a thankful occasion.

Wallingford and Meriden Rotary Clubs raised $22,000 between them this year for the Dry Dock, Chrysalis, United Way, Wallingford Emergency Shelter, Wallingford Community Daycare, Master’s Manna, Wallingford Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner and Holiday for Giving in Wallingford and in Meriden to the YMCA. This work, with the help of Liberty Bank, provides a great many meals.

Bids have come in on the Hanover school addition in Meriden to accommodate all-day kindergarten. Classes are now expected to begin a year from January.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Nov. 21, 2011

Evident determination by Meriden workers to get Hubbard Park into shape for the annual Festival of Silver Lights, expected to begin Tuesday night. We salute the hard work, even as we can scarcely believe that it’s time for this Christmas tradition once again.

A welcome to Kim Carbone-Pandiani who will take Kevin Scarpati’s place on Meriden’s Board of Education as he leaves for his new seat on the City Council. She seems a logical choice for this office, and we wish her the best.

A huge federal contribution -- $275 million -- for a busway linking New Britain and Hartford was announced this week. If this can help unclog I-84, it will do much for Connecticut’s future.

Wallingford Community Women are going to create a new environmental literacy program. It will be a “Nature Corner” with nature-themed exhibits and lectures and will offer hikes on town trails, all aimed at getting youngsters excited about outdoors.

Meriden police officers Jeffrey Selander and Brian Wilkinson, along with the North Meriden Neighborhood Association, dropped off two carloads of food at New Opportunities. This means a lot of families and people of limited means will have a brighter holiday.

A sting operation in Southington netted five liquor stores and three convenience stores for sales of booze and tobacco to underage buyers. As Sgt. Lowell DePalma said, there’s an easy way to avoid trouble: DePalma said there’s an easy way to make sure a store doesn’t get in trouble: “If they look young, card them.”

Students at Cheshire High School are remembering Pearl Harbor. It’s been 70 years since that attack, and their event, called BRAVE, which stands for Bring Remembrance to All Veterans Everywhere, will welcome veterans to enjoy refreshments, music, documentaries and more at the high school on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Nov. 21, 2011

Between Nicholas Economopoulos and Craig Fishbein, there should be plenty of political action in Wallingford’s new Town Council. Both men, though, may have their eyes on higher elective office.

Wallingford Public Access Association’s new TV show, Free Speech Square, where anyone interested can be on the air and speak their minds. It is about free speech and should provide entertainment and possibly enlightenment.

Meriden has experienced an unexpected school enrollment drop, about 500 students system wide. Officials, nonetheless, feel that this drop should not impact state reimbursement for Platt and Maloney renovation and that once done, the two schools should draw new students.

Greenwich has a new playground after several years of work, designed specifically to include kids with learning disabilities and developmental disorders, it was costly and is one of a kind in the United States. We hope this sort of playground catches on elsewhere.

Live Strong at the Southington Y helps cancer survivors regain strength, endurance and function. A foundation set up by the late Lance Armstrong provided the grant money for this program.

Meriden is beginning a program in which teachers evaluate each other through peer coaching. Colleagues, mostly from similar teaching positions, observe and then can offer critique and comments to each other.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Nov. 20, 2011

Plans for Meriden’s downtown include reviving the notion of Pratt Street as a boulevard. If this can be accomplished, it would certainly make more sense than trying to re-ramp I-691.

The Meriden Boys & Girls Club held an electronics recycling drive at Ragozzinos Saturday. The club hopes to raise between $12,000 and $15,000 for its programs.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Nov. 19, 2011

Wallingford Housing Authority has taken a logical and anticipated step and terminated Executive Director Stephen Nere while offering him a separation package of $130,000. It appears this finalizes a deal (which also ends litigation) worked out between Nere and board members.

With disaster status clarified, Southington will begin collecting debris from Storm Alfred, which is expected to cost around a million dollars. FEMA is expected to reimburse the town for about 75 percent.

An explosion in Cheshire High School gym is no joke and should be dealt with seriously. Investigation must be full and accurate.

A cash loss of $900 from the Southington Water Department is disappointing. It seems certain that the incident will spell trouble for someone.

So Nick Economopoulos wants to run for Mayor of Wallingford and is getting a head start on the effort? It certainly takes determination to set out on such a trek.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Nov. 18, 2011

It is fairly typical of court proceedings, whether of the complaints or of subpoenas or of any other documents, that issues are not spelled out in layperson’s language. It may yet happen that the public, not to mention the defendants in the case (Meriden’s chief of police and his family), will find out what the latest move really signifies in due course.

Connecticut Light & Power’s president, Jeff Butler, has been given a swift kick (and probably a golden handshake) and removed, as a piece of raw meat for consumers and legislators angry over CL&P’s response during storm Alfred. Interestingly, Butler was not one of those Northeast Utility executives listed among the gigantic salaries a couple of weeks ago, apparently because his compensation doesn’t come from the parent company.

Fire department personnel in Wallingford and Meriden were pushed flat out by dozens of calls Thursday over the smell of gas caused by saturating a new pipeline with the odorant. Fortunately, this was nothing dangerous, but it does raise the “what-if” question.

Congratulations to Aimee L. (Darius) Powers, William C. Piper, Matthew R. Fritz and Remi Torres Borak, all welcomed to Sheehan High School’s Hall of Fame Thursday. These are four individuals who have accomplished a great deal of good in Wallingford and for Wallingford’s reputation.

Wallingford Housing Authority is expected to act today on an agenda item described as “authorizing separation agreement and general release that would provide for an early termination of Executive Director Stephen Nere’s written employment agreement.” Many will be interested to see how this works out and hopeful that WHA will be able to move forward.

You’ve got to give Judge Jon Blue credit for reaching a useful compromise in dealing with testimony of the convicted murderer’s daughter in the penalty phase of the Cheshire home invasion case. As a matter of principle, though, a special showing of this material to members of the press separate from the jury would seem to establish press as separate from the public, which it is not and should not be.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Nov. 17, 2011

So it’s back to square one for Simpson Court parking issues. It will be interesting to see who in Wallingford blinks first.

Yesterday’s gas leak reports in Meriden and Wallingford – when Yankee Gas was testing its pipes with heavily odorized gas – is a reminder that natural gas doesn’t smell at all. That gas smell is a good thing, because without it, no one would know when there was a leak.

State prosecutorial offices have been criticized by auditors for certain laxness in allowing employees to use sick days and employing key cards and other current technology. Rules are rules, and they apply to all: if we want to change them, we’ll have to legislate.

Southington’s Board of Finance will be considering the benefits of “stand-by” contracts in the event of future emergency situations. This could save money on labor costs if, heaven help us, we have more storms.

Approval to move forward with a bid for demolition of Factory H is expected in Meriden within a week, with demolition to begin shortly thereafter. This will be a solid achievement when it is completed.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Nov. 16, 2011

Connecticut officials, and folks in other states, are examining laws to see what reporting rules are so that situations such as that Joe Paterno scandal in Pennsylvania could be avoided or averted. We’ll probably pass another set of laws making rules more specific and carrying greater penalties, but the real question is whether we can be trained to see what goes on in front of us and to feel a need to stop it.

Anthem Blue Cross has moved part of its operations into the Wallingford Campus at Greenhill on Leigus Road, bringing this large structure into operation. A building with many green features, it should be a showcase for ecologically sensitive processes.

A tip of the hat goes to Tom Bruenn, former teacher and now former Meriden school board member, and also former Guest Member of the Record-Journal Editorial Board. He has served his community with zeal and skill for many years.

Wallingford teachers, school board and council have reached a formula for a new three-year contract avoiding arbitration and lots of other expenses. This seems like a favorable deal all around.

If there is a serious issue with the condition of sidewalks at a Riverside Drive condominium complex in Southington, it should be fixed, especially if residents are intended to be over 55. Saying that it is a “civil” matter isn’t really an answer, since that involves considerable expense of hiring attorneys and filing lawsuits with procedural pitfalls along the way.

Brush collection continues in Meriden, Wallingford, Southington and Cheshire, as crews work steadily to collect a mountain of debris from that October snowstorm. Patience is necessary, as weeks will probably go by before this task can be completed.

Superior Court Judge Mark T. Gould gave some sentences to Lyman Hall students in Wallingford on how he regards his courtroom from the bench. It was a learning experience for some of his listeners who could have had ideas of the judiciary shaped by Judge Judy and her TV colleagues.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Nov. 15, 2011

Wallingford voters soundly rejected the parking lot plan. We hope that the results of this rejection will turn out to be as sound as the majority opinion.

It certainly was a civics lesson for kids at Moran Middle School where Wallingford voters went to express their views on the parking lot issue. Alert teachers added the occasion to their curriculum in social studies.

MidState Medical Center in Meriden had a good fiscal year with an operating surplus not quite as significant as in the previous year but sound. This is an encouraging report and there’s a vision for the future as well.

Congratulations to Southington WMCA award-winners: Tony Sheffy, the Person of the Year award for his work with the Southington Education Foundation; Rachel Wache, former American Legion Unit 72 Auxiliary president, the Unsung Hero award; Southington’s Townwide Effort to Promote Success, the Reaching Out award.

Connecticut’s official auditors have looked at the Department of Revenue Services and found it wanting, since in several areas, DRS chose to maximize income tax receipts rather than following every return’s errors to their ultimate resolution. Well, that’s what auditors are supposed to do, but auditors frequently see the errors on the ground without quite understanding the conditions.

Connecticut’s Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor visited Thomas Hooker School in Meriden yesterday because it is an award-winning school and because “this school district is creating a model for the rest of the state.” These are very encouraging words!

Wallingford leases farmland it purchased as open spaces to farmers for agricultural use. This seems a strange but entirely benign use of public land in our highly urbanized part of the world.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Nov. 14, 2011

Today Wallingford votes on that parking lot referendum. It will be interesting to see, beyond results, just how many voters turn out for the event.

Two very contrasting success stories today, one about the support Police Lt. Sal Nesci of the Meriden force, who underwent tumor removal last summer, the other about new Southington Board of Education member Terry Lombardi who fled Castro’s Cuba as a girl. If you need inspiration for a Monday morning, here is the place for it.

It would seem sensible, all things storm-wise considered, to suspend enforcement of Connecticut’s arborist law, requiring only licensed arborists to trim or remove trees, but if the state wants to permanently end this law, it should be repealed, not suspended.

The DeDominicis property – 180 peaceful acres – is certainly an asset of which Cheshire can be proud. It is good to continue purchases of open land so that future generations can continue to be in direct contact with the natural world.

To celebrate American Education Week, Wallingford Education Foundation is asking graduates of that school system to send in remembrances of their favorite teachers. Submissions will be collected and posted on the school district website through Friday.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Nov. 13, 2011

The hours report/overtime report of a Meriden police officer under investigation reveals some of the hard realities of police work. Perhaps, without the context of a particular investigation, these conditions and some of the union rules which have become associated with them should be examined with some care.

Reminder to Wallingford residents: Be sure to vote in Monday’s referendum on the parking lot issue.

Meriden real estate appraisals are down for many properties, 17 percent on average for residences, in a switch which pushes the burden slightly toward commercial areas. Appraisal numbers, by themselves, mean little until the city’s next mill rate is set.

Kudos to all volunteers and city employees who worked to clear the linear trail in Meriden so that walkers would not need to wait until spring to stroll. This was a well-thought out decision and will be much appreciated.

Use of the QR app for smart phones and of information on local businesses along the linear trail in Southington may emerge as a compromise to advertising on Kiosks to be located along that path. It should be better than the visual pollution which can develop should the Kiosk solution be opened up to commercial messages.

Cheshire’s “Mile of Hope” — from the school to the town green – was celebrated again on Saturday with thousands of luminaries sold as part of a fundraiser throughout the year. Funds received, over $40,000, will be split among Youth and Social Services Department, the Cheshire Community Food Pantry, and the Petit Family Foundation, with another portion going to a scholarship.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Nov. 12, 2011

Meriden sets its priority for all-day kindergarten. This may rub some folks the wrong way, but the city lags behind other urban districts in providing this schooling.

The discussions, to put it politely, between Cheshire’s council and board of education over spending issues and authority does highlight one major issue which troubles state schools – or not, depending on your point of view. Historically, town councils make only a lump sum grant to boards of ed, which have authority over how to spend; this is a status suggested for change by the Superintendents of Schools association.

Here’s the other shoe dropping: Connecticut electric customers should prepare for higher rates in reaction to the storm. Everyone expects it, the only question being how much everyone will put up with.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Nov. 11, 2011

Meriden officials have presented a new plan for downtown to an audience at Lincoln. This blueprint will certainly be discussed, argued about and perhaps altered, but it looks exciting and actually doable.

It seems fair enough for state cable, phone and internet providers not to be paid when power which runs them was not available – or is it? Which organization was actually responsible for failure of service? But then, too, this will help spread the financial burden regardless of fault.

Southington’s new school board members were sworn in and promptly had to face decisions on vacations to change because of storm days after Albert. They found two days easily enough, but others will have to wait for January.

It appears a Saturday morning operation to clear up debris along Meriden's Quinnipiac Gorge Linear Trail will go forward with the help of volunteers. Since this is city work, everyone is urged to be extremely careful with chain saws and moving tree trunks.

Congratulations to the Sheehan High School marching band. The Wallingford school organization took home its second straight U.S. Scholastic Band Association state championship at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport last Saturday.

Hartford is considering electronic tolls as a way if financing needed work on the I-84 viaduct, built in 1965. So far it’s just a study.

Five students at DePaolo Middle School in Southington are participating in NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. If they can get 50,000 words on paper by the end of the month, they qualify, and these hearty students are making the effort.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Nov. 10, 2011

Wallingford’s Cook Hill Volunteer Fire Dept. will close: not enough volunteers, not enough fire calls. Chief Struble is confident he can cover town with HQ and Yalesville with fewer but more intensively-trained crews. This decision says a lot about how volunteer firefighting and how society has changed in 30 years.

Meriden’s Quinnipiac Gorge Linear trail took a real beating during the snowstorm, worse than it took in Irene. But Mayor Rohde and consultant caseworker Ed Siebert have decided to round up city and volunteer help to get the trail in usable shape for the winter, a decision for which we have nothing but praise.

Although CL&P has offered $10 million to customers, pretty much without strings, who were damaged by the power outage, it is said that the sum should be greater. We imagine that someone is going to have to figure out how any such money, regardless of total, is allocated.

Plans for improving a part of Route 68 near rte 150 in Yalesville should help alleviate traffic flow. But we do find it hard to believe that merely synchronizing traffic signals would cost millions more.

Wallingford Housing Authority, as advised by its attorney, has hooked smoke alarms up to monitoring systems, a sensible and easy step. One can only wish other issues were so easily resolved, but such things as bookkeeping and employment evolve over time and can only be unraveled with care for legal priorities.

Connecticut superintendents of schools have come up with some plans to improve schools which should at a minimum produce a lot of discussion. Some of them seem like long-hoped-for goals, so pay attention!

A needs survey will be undertaken by MidState and United Way in Meriden and Wallingford beginning this Saturday. It will help shape what services you have available, so if you are called, answer thoughtfully.

Trees and CL&P: Governor Malloy and the utility could trade statistics and claims for years without getting very far. There’s no question that this storm was “different” from all previous in the last 60 years in many ways, since leaves remained on the trees; it’s also undeniable that back in 1998, when CL&P undertook a major tree trimming effort, local officials, including Meriden’s tree warden and Cheshire’s beautification committee, expressed distress at what was being done.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Nov. 9, 2011

Major theme of the elections is that there has not been much change. Certainly there appears to be no ground swell of feeling for something “different” and, while some of one party and some from another party won, such as Scarpati and Shamock in Meriden, such victories are due more to the attractiveness of the candidates than to any party or philosophical appeal.

Voters approved spending money, quite a lot of it, in Southington (for overdue middle school renovations), in Cheshire (for required water pollution updates). In this context, one can surmise that the political point which was made during the campaign in Meriden about not submitting the high school renovation project to a vote probably didn’t attract too many voters.

Yale casts its first mascot in bronze, and bigger than life. One can only hope the university didn’t overspend on this issue.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Nov. 8, 2011

NU executive pay is revealed, which is nice timing. State Representatives, including Chris Donovan (D – Meriden) and Vickie Nardello (D – Prospect, Cheshire) are naturally concerned; the situation makes one wonder exactly what sort of work these guys do to merit all this compensation.

Predictions are that voter turnout in Wallingford, Southington, Cheshire, and Meriden will be on the light side, typical of a local election year. It’s odd, since local elections make a lot more immediate difference in the lives of residents.

Wallingford will add a full-time technician to manage and care for the high tech equipment the school system now owns. This seems a reasonable and necessary step.

Whoever had the idea – the super debt reduction committee? – to proceed nationally on the debt by taxing employer-based medical insurance plans had a simply awful idea. How to draw a bead on your own foot and shoot!

Food pantries in the area, including Southington Community Services, Wallingford’s Master’s Manna, and Cheshire Community Food Pantry are short of supplies after helping out during the recent snow emergency. Now is a good time to bring in food supplies to help re-stock these shelves.

Crews are at work trying to restore cable TV lines too, as many were damaged during the storm. It’s not quite as life-and-death as electricity and heat, but it’s very important to lots of people who are dependent on it as a source of information.

Hubbard Park in Meriden is closed as the city attends as a first priority to power lines which supply homes and businesses. Volunteers are at work on trails as well, but this process could take a while both at Hubbard and along the linear trail.

Southington is moving forward with another purchase of open space, this on the 25-acre Primus property. Funds -- $2.3 million – include some from the clean-up costs assessed and paid to the Quinnipiac River Groundwater Natural Resource Damages Fund.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Nov. 7, 2011

CL&P didn’t make its target, but they tried and they came fairly close. That’s no comfort to those who are still darkened in Meriden, Southington or Cheshire.

Southington, we should recall, has a referendum on middle schools tomorrow, which is a major commitment and a major expenditure. We hope it passes.

The state is going to have a hearing in Wallingford on adding a lane to route 68 between Route 5 and 150. This is a major idea, probably long overdue and far in the future. While they’re at it, why not fix the three-way situation so that the Merritt can exit directly onto 68 somehow?

Band demonstrations to help high school band programs with middle schoolers is a good and necessary plan. Southington, Wallingford and Meriden also send kids to band camp in the summer.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Nov. 6, 2011

Will people in our state take any lessons or reach any interesting conclusions from the prolonged outages this storm has caused? There should be conversation, but it’s to be expected that once power is back, folks will sink back into their chairs in front of the TV until the next time.

Bottom line here: Everyone says how wonderful Wallingford Electric has been. So how many are willing to pay to buy transmission lines and production means from CL&P, assuming they’d sell, and how many are willing to accept the alternative of a government takeover of the utility industry?

The story about “Rethinking the grid” By Jan Ellen Spiegel should be required reading, along with Adam Wittenberg’s piece on the New Norm. Both offer plenty of thought-provoking commentary about how a state like Connecticut might proceed with reforms to its electricity distribution.

Good story about David Bowen, Director of Meriden’s Emergency Operations Management Center. We’re not sure he was wise to opine that we’ve had everything but locusts: you never know, but at least probably not until spring!

It is good that Meriden is moving forward with plans for downtown as that commuter line from New Haven to Springfield moves closer to reality. Though it will probably never be “high speed” in any sense of the word – there are far too many grade crossings which cannot be protected or closed – it will have a profound impact on the city.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Nov. 5, 2011

Well, CL&P is making progress on restoring power, with remaining customers without power in Meriden down to 28 percent at press time for Saturday’s edition and 15 percent by late Saturday morning, with fewer than 10 percent in Southington and Cheshire. Compared to the Farmington Valley towns, our area is doing fairly well, but again it is worth reiterating whether rate payers would rather pay ongoing higher rates to encompass aggressive tree-trimming and more crews all the time or consider low rates as the end-all.

An election is still scheduled for Tuesday, regardless of power status (although estimates are seeming pretty firm that all polling places will be supplied by that time). As a matter of interest, had this storm occurred closer to the election date, what remedy for the mess would there have been?

As has been remarked on other occasions when the lights have gone out, local residents do seem able to increase their courtesy factor and navigate without damage or collision the many intersections where traffic signals remained out – even, in the case of several places in Meriden, on Friday.

It’s hard to keep up with technology. Meriden used radio, internet and phone emergency reverse 911 to get word out about where and when shelters were open and where food might be located. Yet there were still people who, without power and without telephone landlines which don’t use power, were left “in the dark” as it were and really needed door-to-door information delivered.

After recognizing that such things as sump pumps don’t work without power and that electrical damage may need to be corrected even when power is restored, a comment was made by Alan Barberino, property manager of Crown Village condominiums in Meriden, that generators may become a more standard item in the future. If correct, we wonder if that suggests a decline in utility service, an increase in power-demanding technology, or a rise in severe weather?

The Editor's Notepod, Fri.,Nov. 4, 2011

Still the restoration of power seems to lag in Meriden. There are a lot of crews, but the question is raised whether they are being deployed effectively.

Shelters in Meriden are now providing meals, as well as snacks, thanks to National Guard and to churches. One cannot continue driving to fast food places indefinitely.

Area landfills are accepting storm debris, tree limbs and the like. Meriden and Wallingford will begin curbside pick-up on Monday.

Connecticut’s redistricting panel is now at full strength. This is a difficult process under any circumstances, since the temptation to arrange districts to help incumbents or existing party divisions is overwhelming.

Red Cross blood workers are on strike in Connecticut. One can only wonder to what extent current labor difficulties in this charity are related to decisions to close local offices and consolidate to “core” activities a few years back. There’s much to be said for running any charity in a businesslike fashion, but in the end, charities should still be charities, and in the public interest, not for the sake of making money, since there are no shareholders.

One more thing to worry about: this storm has stimulated the use of wood burning stoves and of generators, thus upping the particulate count in the air in Connecticut. Pray for a good wind.

The Editor's Notepod, Thur., Nov. 3, 2011

Meriden residents should be wary of the personal direction the campaign seems to be taking in its last days. Sources of funds are certainly relevant, but are not necessarily the whole story.

Progress is being made by CL&P in Meriden, Southington and Cheshire, as power is slowly restored. We should all take a careful look at priorities as we assess the damage this snowstorm has done.

It’s to be noted that local cable companies are somewhat behind the power company in restoring service. This raises the question whether it’s better to “chill out” these powerless nights in front of a functioning TV or in front of the silent box.

Once again, generators are great in emergencies, but you cannot run them unventilated without risking death by carbon monoxide as local officials in Meriden and elsewhere continue to stress – and as was sadly demonstrated by a young woman in Bloomfield found dead and presumably killed by fumes from a generator in her cellar.

Westfield Meriden Mall has remained open and powered during the entire outage, which has afforded many families a welcome oasis of comfort and sustenance. Is it worth remarking that there really aren’t a lot of large trees in the mall’s parking lot?

Schools will be closed because of outages in Meriden, Southington and Cheshire. This is going to play havoc not only with school schedules regarding snow days and vacations but also with managing to educate kids during November, which winds up a very short month.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Nov. 2, 2011

Everyone’s a little frustrated by the apparent lack of progress in storm clean-up, but CL&P had 19 crews in Meriden Wednesday working on issues. With that many crews, it can’t possibly take as long as folks seem to fear.

While residents elsewhere made do with cold or visited shelters, those who visited Wallingford could count on hot meals at local restaurants and on entertainment. Not only were there lines at eating places, with school out a lot of people showed up at the Holiday Cinemas to see almost anything being screened, to keep warm, and to eat popcorn, which, after all, is warm.

Governor Malloy has held the first meeting of the Joint Labor-Management Committee, a body seeking to encourage state employees and to encourage them to find ways to streamline and improve services. This, it is hoped, will also lead to savings in many areas.

It was a good thing all around that towns opened shelters for those without power to visit. It creates, of course, a lot of administrative issues, keeping track of who is where, but the good that is accomplished in schools and senior centers goes well beyond merely providing warmth and showers and prepared meals.

Safety tips for power outages are more than timely, as 16 people were sent to hospitals from central Connecticut following carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Nov. 1, 2011

A lot of people and businesses remain without power in the Meriden area. CL&P will face questions, and, as another story shows, consumers will face choices as to what they are willing to pay for.

Wallingford Electric Division demonstrates another reason why it has paid to maintain a separate identity for town electric service. But it no doubt comes at the cost of a more aggressive tree trimming program.

With local schools getting snow days off this week in Meriden, Wallingford, Southington and Cheshire, a head start has been made on school calendars and on snow removal expenses. We can hold our breaths as the winter season progresses to see how these and other town concerns fare.

For heaven’s sake, stop at any place where there’s a darkened traffic light.

Meriden’s YMCA has moved Halloween to Friday night and is seeking donations of their candy supplies, which may likely have been unused Monday night, for distribution then.