Monday, February 22, 2010
The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Feb. 22, 2010
State: Connecticut’s death penalty laws seem more honored in the breach than in the observance. While abolition (or not) is of great symbolic value, it appears that juries, judges and lawyers over the years have shown great restraint in applying the most serious penalty – unlike Texas, where everyone seems to enjoy handing out the death sentence. Perhaps it should be left alone.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Feb. 21, 2010
Southington: part of the funds from Solvents Recovery Services clean-up will go to building and extending the nearby linear trail. This will be a significant benefit to residents above and beyond the clean-up itself, which, though necessary, offers little in the way of tangible improvement in the local scene.
Wallingford: parents are getting out to support the local school budget, which faces some tough hurdles in the days ahead, especially in light of the mayor’s austerity determination. It will be a matter of demonstrating muscle.
Meriden: A unanimous vote on the high school plan would be a positive demonstration of unity and a way to get the necessary project going without setting up a situation for constant sniping, but it isn’t necessary, we suppose. It is really a recognition that the city is committed to the support of its schools for the next 50 years, not just muddling by with spare-change repairs.
Wallingford: parents are getting out to support the local school budget, which faces some tough hurdles in the days ahead, especially in light of the mayor’s austerity determination. It will be a matter of demonstrating muscle.
Meriden: A unanimous vote on the high school plan would be a positive demonstration of unity and a way to get the necessary project going without setting up a situation for constant sniping, but it isn’t necessary, we suppose. It is really a recognition that the city is committed to the support of its schools for the next 50 years, not just muddling by with spare-change repairs.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Feb. 20, 2010
State: the highway tolls debate. It is one thing to discuss whether a particular tax or toll or impost or whatever is a good or a bad idea. It is another thing to turn that debate into one about whether the revenue created by a tax should or should not be used for a particular related purpose. “Letting the punishment fit the crime” is not a part of any recognized public policy other than in an emotional sense.
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Feb. 19, 2010
Meriden: PCBs discovered in one plumbing instruction room at Wilcox (and no doubt at other schools of similar age. Remarkable that it can be remediated with a fan. Who knew that the stuff was used in caulking back in the 1960s?
Wallingford: it is really a pity that “boredom” can be such a problem for school vacations that school trips have to be organized. Given today’s family structures and occupational demands, isn’t it about time to rethink the business of the February and April vacations?
Meriden: Falcon Field is being plowed so it can be used for outside soccer practice in February. It’s great that leagues are paying a rental fee which is going into a fund to replace the artificial turf – but why does anyone need to be holding soccer practice in the winter? Probably a stupid question.
Southington: residents are certainly entitled to use any legal method to fight the VIP presence, but it would seem that mostly what is accomplished is free publicity for the store. How could it get better?
Wallingford: There’s some delay in closing on the land deal for the North Farms Volunteer Fire Department. While no one appreciates delay, it would seem that unless something has changed, the land was a suitable choice and, absent emergency of some sort, it’s worth waiting and being a little patient.
Southington: Marion Road will soon be closed for about three weeks as a much needed sewer is installed. Is it not possible to build a temporary road around the construction for this main thoroughfare to avoid not only the inconvenience to drivers but also to those in surrounding neighborhoods as traffic seeks out alternative routes?
Wallingford: it is really a pity that “boredom” can be such a problem for school vacations that school trips have to be organized. Given today’s family structures and occupational demands, isn’t it about time to rethink the business of the February and April vacations?
Meriden: Falcon Field is being plowed so it can be used for outside soccer practice in February. It’s great that leagues are paying a rental fee which is going into a fund to replace the artificial turf – but why does anyone need to be holding soccer practice in the winter? Probably a stupid question.
Southington: residents are certainly entitled to use any legal method to fight the VIP presence, but it would seem that mostly what is accomplished is free publicity for the store. How could it get better?
Wallingford: There’s some delay in closing on the land deal for the North Farms Volunteer Fire Department. While no one appreciates delay, it would seem that unless something has changed, the land was a suitable choice and, absent emergency of some sort, it’s worth waiting and being a little patient.
Southington: Marion Road will soon be closed for about three weeks as a much needed sewer is installed. Is it not possible to build a temporary road around the construction for this main thoroughfare to avoid not only the inconvenience to drivers but also to those in surrounding neighborhoods as traffic seeks out alternative routes?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Feb. 17, 2010
Area: interesting two-part storm, as everyone noticed. It’s not always an easy decision to decide whether to postpone or cancel a scheduled activity due to weather: too early, and people call you a wimp, too late and they call you an idiot. One thing sure, though, if you do drive in the snow, use good judgment once out in the snow on the highway.
Meriden: City and owners of Townline will be needing to find a new tenant to replace ShopRite, which is moving to the Shaw’s site in Wallingford . . .and whoever goes into Townline will vacate some other place, and so it goes.
State/local: replacing the BEST system with the TEAM system of evaluating new teachers seems a good plan. It replaces a statewide testing system with a locally centered mentoring system, and makes more sense, since the aim of neither system seems to be to arbitrarily eliminate people from the profession.
Meriden: the idea of offering public employees an incentive to switch to a spouse’s health insurance makes sense in theory, and would if, presumably, employees did so in large numbers. But one wonders why anyone would voluntarily give up the insurance benefits offered by towns and cities and the state; it’s hard to imagine any incentive large enough.
Meriden: City and owners of Townline will be needing to find a new tenant to replace ShopRite, which is moving to the Shaw’s site in Wallingford . . .and whoever goes into Townline will vacate some other place, and so it goes.
State/local: replacing the BEST system with the TEAM system of evaluating new teachers seems a good plan. It replaces a statewide testing system with a locally centered mentoring system, and makes more sense, since the aim of neither system seems to be to arbitrarily eliminate people from the profession.
Meriden: the idea of offering public employees an incentive to switch to a spouse’s health insurance makes sense in theory, and would if, presumably, employees did so in large numbers. But one wonders why anyone would voluntarily give up the insurance benefits offered by towns and cities and the state; it’s hard to imagine any incentive large enough.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Feb. 16, 2010
State: Interesting ideas from the group of minority legislators and Campaign LEARN. It’s a good idea and we look forward to more concrete proposals.
Wallingford: the issue of a procedure or protocol after a dog attack is being raised once more, and the ordinance committee will again discuss it. With both corporation counsel and the animal control against it, and with laws already giving sufficient powers, it is hard to see where the idea can go.
Meriden: YMCA’s suggestion that it would like to run gifted and talented programs is an interesting one. Lots of issues in this area, as there are with special education policies, and, as a rule, are difficult to discuss.
State: it’s one thing, we guess, for cases of animal abuse to be cross-reported to Dept. of Families and Children as an alert to possible child abuse, though based on a single study a decade ago. But unless someone is prepared to follow up, is it sensible for DCYS to report child abuse to the Dept. of Agriculture so household pets might be removed?
Wallingford: the issue of a procedure or protocol after a dog attack is being raised once more, and the ordinance committee will again discuss it. With both corporation counsel and the animal control against it, and with laws already giving sufficient powers, it is hard to see where the idea can go.
Meriden: YMCA’s suggestion that it would like to run gifted and talented programs is an interesting one. Lots of issues in this area, as there are with special education policies, and, as a rule, are difficult to discuss.
State: it’s one thing, we guess, for cases of animal abuse to be cross-reported to Dept. of Families and Children as an alert to possible child abuse, though based on a single study a decade ago. But unless someone is prepared to follow up, is it sensible for DCYS to report child abuse to the Dept. of Agriculture so household pets might be removed?
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Feb. 15, 2010
Meriden: the life of a plow operator is revealed. It’s good to read about the job from the driver’s point of view.
Meriden: school board member Steven O’Donnell has taken the right step in clearing up any possible question about a conflict between his work as a chiropractor in town and his public service. Bottom line: there is none.
Meriden: school board member Steven O’Donnell has taken the right step in clearing up any possible question about a conflict between his work as a chiropractor in town and his public service. Bottom line: there is none.
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