The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Dec. 7, 2011

Burns & McDonnell, engineering firm, has moved into the campus at Greenhill in Wallingford, making it their New England headquarters. It is a felicitous move and most welcome to the town.

Good news for car dealerships in Meriden and around Connecticut. Sales are up substantially this year, reversing a trend which had followed the recession during the last couple of years.

The former Meriden-Wallingford Hospital has come down to the wire, and owners have run out of options. With a foreclosure sale set for Dec. 17, it looks as if it could wind up belonging to the city for its $600,000 tax bill unless someone shows up with a big plan.

All-day kindergarten is moving closer to reality in Meriden. This is not your traditional kindergarten but one with curriculum value.

It certainly makes sense to bring the pumping station for Southington up out of the Quinnipiac’s flood area. It isn’t a good plan for it to be underwater during high water conditions when it could be damaged.

Let’s not forget that among other proposals last spring was one to place vo-tech schools, such as Meriden’s Wilcox Tech, under local control. While that plan was scotched, a study committee on vo-tech future holds a hearing next week, Dec. 13 at the state Legislative Office Building in Hartford, to get opinions from students, parents and anyone else with an interest in the schools.

The Dodd Middle School kids in Cheshire who watched Rachel’s Challenge and Rachel’s Legacy were mostly infants when the massacre occurred at Columbine High in Littleton, CO. It is good that something good is being made out of that tragedy.

Southington Water Department is closing its books on some missing cash and is of opinion that it was not a theft but a lack of accounting, which we hope is correct. Meanwhile, the forensic audit has made recommendations on how to handle accounts which seem well worth adopting.

Wallingford Housing Authority has received $700,000 for repairs to units at Ulbrich Heights and Southside Terrace complexes. This will be welcome news for tenants.