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.