One of the great ones is gone.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Friday, July 17, 2009
Bristol father's deadly, drunken crash
Hartford Courant reporter Don Stacom has a good piece today about a drunk driving accident in March that killed a Bristol man who should never have been behind the wheel:
When Walter Madore picked up his sons at a Collins Road house, he was supposed to be the responsible father safely driving the boys and one of their friends home from a late-night get-together with friends.
But all of that went horribly wrong.
Barely a mile away, the ride ended in disaster: Madore's 15-year-old son recalls their Chevy Suburban sliding out of control toward a utility pole and his father — drunk — reaching for his hand and saying "I'm sorry."
Moments later, the car was demolished, the boys were hurt, and Madore, described by friends as a model father, was dead. Click here to read the whole story, at least until the Courant moves it into its archive section.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
When Walter Madore picked up his sons at a Collins Road house, he was supposed to be the responsible father safely driving the boys and one of their friends home from a late-night get-together with friends.
But all of that went horribly wrong.
Barely a mile away, the ride ended in disaster: Madore's 15-year-old son recalls their Chevy Suburban sliding out of control toward a utility pole and his father — drunk — reaching for his hand and saying "I'm sorry."
Moments later, the car was demolished, the boys were hurt, and Madore, described by friends as a model father, was dead. Click here to read the whole story, at least until the Courant moves it into its archive section.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City candidates to be picked soon
The city’s political season is about to heat up.
The Republicans are slated to pick their municipal candidates Thursday while the Democrats plan to follow suit on Monday, July 27.
The biggest question remains who will take on Mayor Art Ward, the Democratic incumbent who is seeking reelection.
Since Ken Johnson, the 2007 Republican mayoral contender, pulled out this spring, the party has been searching for someone willing to challenge Ward.
So far, there haven’t been any takers.
Both parties aim to field candidates for mayor, treasurer and each of the six City Council seats on the November 3 general election ballot.
It’s possible, particularly on the Democratic side, that there may be primaries as well. They would take place in September.
The GOP doesn’t yet have a candidate to challenge incumbent Democratic Treasurer Bill Veits.
In two of the three council districts, each of which has two seats, the Republicans haven’t found a pair of contenders so far.
At this point, each of the incumbents is seeking reelection to another two year term except for two councilors, 3rd District Democrats Frank Nicastro and Craig Minor.
In the 1st District, incumbent Cliff Block, a Democrat, and Mike Rimcoski, a Republican, are angling for another term. Also in the running is newcomer Kevin Fuller, a Democrat.
In the 2nd District, incumbents Kevin McCauley, a Democrat, and Republican Ken Cockayne are running again. Also seeking election in the district is Republican Richard Scarola and Democrats Al Marko and Tom Ragaini.
In the 3rd District, Democrats Terry Parker and Kate Matthews face a challenge from Republican Derek Czenczelewski. Another GOP hopeful will announce shortly before the nominating convention Thursday, party officials said.
Mayors serve two-year terms for about $100,000 annually. The treasurer earns $5,000 yearly while councilors collect $10,000.
Though most candidates who earn a place on the ballot are nominated by their party’s town committee, anyone can force a primary by collecting signatures. For information about the relevant laws, check with the city clerk’s office and the registrar’s office.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Republicans are slated to pick their municipal candidates Thursday while the Democrats plan to follow suit on Monday, July 27.
The biggest question remains who will take on Mayor Art Ward, the Democratic incumbent who is seeking reelection.
Since Ken Johnson, the 2007 Republican mayoral contender, pulled out this spring, the party has been searching for someone willing to challenge Ward.
So far, there haven’t been any takers.
Both parties aim to field candidates for mayor, treasurer and each of the six City Council seats on the November 3 general election ballot.
It’s possible, particularly on the Democratic side, that there may be primaries as well. They would take place in September.
The GOP doesn’t yet have a candidate to challenge incumbent Democratic Treasurer Bill Veits.
In two of the three council districts, each of which has two seats, the Republicans haven’t found a pair of contenders so far.
At this point, each of the incumbents is seeking reelection to another two year term except for two councilors, 3rd District Democrats Frank Nicastro and Craig Minor.
In the 1st District, incumbent Cliff Block, a Democrat, and Mike Rimcoski, a Republican, are angling for another term. Also in the running is newcomer Kevin Fuller, a Democrat.
In the 2nd District, incumbents Kevin McCauley, a Democrat, and Republican Ken Cockayne are running again. Also seeking election in the district is Republican Richard Scarola and Democrats Al Marko and Tom Ragaini.
In the 3rd District, Democrats Terry Parker and Kate Matthews face a challenge from Republican Derek Czenczelewski. Another GOP hopeful will announce shortly before the nominating convention Thursday, party officials said.
Mayors serve two-year terms for about $100,000 annually. The treasurer earns $5,000 yearly while councilors collect $10,000.
Though most candidates who earn a place on the ballot are nominated by their party’s town committee, anyone can force a primary by collecting signatures. For information about the relevant laws, check with the city clerk’s office and the registrar’s office.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tenants gain voice on city code panel
Landlords won’t have quite the same clout on the city’s Code Enforcement Committee that oversees the crackdown on blight and other code violations involving property.
City councilors this week revised the committee’s membership to add a tenant representative to the panel, which already had a member looking out for landlords.
But instead of giving the tenant member the opportunity to vote, councilors opted to strip the voting power of the landlord representative, leaving both positions without a vote on decisions made by the committee.
City Councilor Craig Minor, who heads the Ordinance Committee, said that both the landlord and tenant members can discuss issues and raise new topics.
But since neither will have a vote, they won’t “complicate the actions of the committee.”
At the same time, councilors also added another voting member of the panel, the superintendent of the water department.
The new makeup of the committee includes the police chief, a code enforcement police officer, the zoning enforcement officer, the director of health, the fire marshal, the public works director, the chief building official and the water superintendent.
The revised law also says that “two city electors appointed by the mayor, one of whom represents the interests of property owners within the city and one of whom shall be a tenant” are to have non-voting roles in the committee.
The Code Enforcement Committee has been in the forefront of the city’s longtime effort to combat blight, improve the condition of rental housing and otherwise spruce up the community.
It brings up issues and violations of building, housing, health, zoning and other property-related codes. It also makes recommendations to the appropriate enforcers to seek compliance with the codes when it finds conditions that fall short of what the law mandates.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City councilors this week revised the committee’s membership to add a tenant representative to the panel, which already had a member looking out for landlords.
But instead of giving the tenant member the opportunity to vote, councilors opted to strip the voting power of the landlord representative, leaving both positions without a vote on decisions made by the committee.
City Councilor Craig Minor, who heads the Ordinance Committee, said that both the landlord and tenant members can discuss issues and raise new topics.
But since neither will have a vote, they won’t “complicate the actions of the committee.”
At the same time, councilors also added another voting member of the panel, the superintendent of the water department.
The new makeup of the committee includes the police chief, a code enforcement police officer, the zoning enforcement officer, the director of health, the fire marshal, the public works director, the chief building official and the water superintendent.
The revised law also says that “two city electors appointed by the mayor, one of whom represents the interests of property owners within the city and one of whom shall be a tenant” are to have non-voting roles in the committee.
The Code Enforcement Committee has been in the forefront of the city’s longtime effort to combat blight, improve the condition of rental housing and otherwise spruce up the community.
It brings up issues and violations of building, housing, health, zoning and other property-related codes. It also makes recommendations to the appropriate enforcers to seek compliance with the codes when it finds conditions that fall short of what the law mandates.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
North Korean hackers, damn them...
For the second time this month, I've been swamped with a bunch of fake comments that seem to match what's coming from North Korean hackers on other sites. I think I managed to delete them all, but if anyone finds a comment written in what looks like Chinese, please post the headline and date of the relevant blog entry as a comment on here so I can delete them.
I'm not sure why my blog is a North Korea target, but, hey, I can take it.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
I'm not sure why my blog is a North Korea target, but, hey, I can take it.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Hickory nuts driving resident nuts
Tucked away at the end of Arlington Street is a small home where Mary Flores has watched for 15 years as hickory nuts rained down on her cars.“They really do fall like bombs,” she said
Beside her short driveway are two massive hickory trees, one apparently belonging to a neighbor she’s never seen and the other perhaps belonging to the city.
What Flores wants is to see at least one of the trees chopped down so that she can put her car somewhere without having it bombarded.
The trees, she said, are “ruining my cars.”
The hood of one is “totally dented” from the nuts cascading down from the trees, Flores said.
But it’s not clear that she’s going to get relief easily.
City officials said this week they are sympathetic to her plight, but can’t remove a healthy tree merely because its nuts fall on her car.
“Our hands are tied,” Mayor Art Ward said.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said that “as a green resource for the city, that tree has value.”
Hickory trees grow to about 100 feet tall, but have deep roots as well. They are renowned for their hard wood and for the edible nuts that are doing a number on Flores’ vehicles.
The mayor said that perhaps Flores can prevail on her unidentified neighbor to take down the privately owned tree.
Flores said she’s not sure who owns it, but told officials she doesn’t have the money to cover the tree’s removal, which might be pricy.
Maybe the neighbor “will take care of it,” Ward said. Otherwise, he said, she could sue.
Don Padlo, a longtime public works commissioner, said that it’s possible she could get help from her insurance company as well.
Flores said she wasn’t sure about that avenue.
What she is sure about is that the hickory nuts are driving her nuts.
Though cracking them open is virtually impossible, she said, the squirrels somehow manage it.
They leave behind shards from the shells.
Because they’re so tough and sharp, “they cut our feet,” Flores said.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Deschaine wake on Sunday, funeral on Monday
A wake for Desi will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at O'Brien Funeral Home in Forestville.
A mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Matthews Church in Bristol followed by a Christian burial at St. Joseph's Cemetery. A reception at Nuchie's follows.
See this page for more information.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Matthews Church in Bristol followed by a Christian burial at St. Joseph's Cemetery. A reception at Nuchie's follows.
See this page for more information.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Stortz asking people if they'd back him?
Heard a few stories today about former Mayor William Stortz poking around about the possibility of running for mayor again. But I can't say if they're right or not.
And it could be he's actually eyeing a City Council race.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
And it could be he's actually eyeing a City Council race.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rimcoski push to strip away pensions from felons moving to committee
A proposal to strip the pensions of city workers who are convicted of felonies that violate the public trust is heading to committee.
Pushed by city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, councilors agreed this week to have the Ordinance Committee consider the proposal.
“The idea of sending a check to a state prison bothers me,” Rimcoski said.
Though the city hasn’t had an employee charged with a felony related to his job in decades, Rimcoski said he doesn’t want to see a situation develop here as it has in some other towns and on the state level.
He initially raised the idea last winter, but opted to wait to see if state lawmakers would act to ax pensions of government workers who wind up behind bars.
Rimcoski said nothing happened on the measure in the legislature -- lawmakers “are not doing much of anything,” he said -- so he’s pushing it on the city level.
When he raised the plan last winter, Rimcoski said it angers him to see state workers who are accused of crimes making a quick retirement to lock in their pensions.
"You shouldn't be sending pension checks to the prisons," Rimcoski said.
The issue has been bandied about since the massive scandal that rocked the administration of former Gov. John Rowland, who resigned in disgrace and spent time in federal prison for corruption.
There haven't been any significant scandals at City Hall, but other municipalities around the state have seen workers charged with serious crimes.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Parking fines to rise $10 apiece
The city is doubling the cost of most parking violations to $20.
City councilors this week unanimously agreed to hike the fees charged for illegal parking by $10 for every violation except improper use of a handicapped spot, a charge that was reduced from $150 to $90 in the hope that police officers will hand out more tickets.
City Councilor Craig Minor, who heads the Ordinance Committee, said the change “simply increases the fines” to keep up with inflation.
The city hasn’t raised its parking fines in many years, officials said, and other towns nearby levy higher charges.
The problem with the existing $150 infraction for handicapped parking violations is that officers can’t just leave a ticket on the car, complicating the procedure for cracking down, police officials have said.
By lowering the fine and making it possible to leave a ticket, police aim to crack the whip more often on the parking scofflaws.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
New foundation to honor Deschaine
Friends on both sides of the political aisle are taking steps to create a bipartisan foundation that would honor the memory of a 29-year-old Bristol native who drowned in Baltimore this week.
The Deschaine Foundation for Excellence in Government, which was formed in the nation’s capital Thursday, is “a good way to keep him in our hearts and minds in the future,” said Craig Max, vice chair of the District of Columbia’s Republican Party.
Max said that Deschaine, though a Democrat, “became an integral part of the city and particularly the city’s political and social environment.”
“He was a real model for people,” Max said.
The foundation, which aims to become a recognized non-profit, would honor “the legacy of public service” that Deschaine left behind. Its goal is to improve the quality of life for Washington residents.
Deschaine, a 1997 Bristol Eastern High School graduate, moved to Washington for college at Catholic University and remained there ever since, getting involved in many political campaigns and causes.
At the time of his death, he worked as communications director for a leading Democrat on Washington’s city council.
Max said that even though Deschaine is a Democrat, he got along well with him.
“Desi was a good friend,” Max said, and attending each other’s fundraisers despite their political differences.
“Both of us in our own ways were driving toward the same goals,” Max said.
The foundation’s role is “still evolving,” Max said, but is coming together quickly as friends lend a hand.
Deschaine’s boyfriend, J’aimee Hurtet, is likely to be one of the directors of the foundation, Max said.
Deschaine was active in Bristol Republican circles during his teenage years, but switched parties while living in Washington, where he worked for a mayor shortly after earning his bachelor’s degree in international politics.
Deschaine drowned in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor after a day of boating on the Chesapeake Bay Sunday. His death was apparently accidental.
To learn more
Facebook: Deschaine Foundation for Excellence in Government
Website: www.deschaine.org
Twitter: @DFEG
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Deschaine Foundation for Excellence in Government, which was formed in the nation’s capital Thursday, is “a good way to keep him in our hearts and minds in the future,” said Craig Max, vice chair of the District of Columbia’s Republican Party.
Max said that Deschaine, though a Democrat, “became an integral part of the city and particularly the city’s political and social environment.”
“He was a real model for people,” Max said.
The foundation, which aims to become a recognized non-profit, would honor “the legacy of public service” that Deschaine left behind. Its goal is to improve the quality of life for Washington residents.
Deschaine, a 1997 Bristol Eastern High School graduate, moved to Washington for college at Catholic University and remained there ever since, getting involved in many political campaigns and causes.
At the time of his death, he worked as communications director for a leading Democrat on Washington’s city council.
Max said that even though Deschaine is a Democrat, he got along well with him.
“Desi was a good friend,” Max said, and attending each other’s fundraisers despite their political differences.
“Both of us in our own ways were driving toward the same goals,” Max said.
The foundation’s role is “still evolving,” Max said, but is coming together quickly as friends lend a hand.
Deschaine’s boyfriend, J’aimee Hurtet, is likely to be one of the directors of the foundation, Max said.
Deschaine was active in Bristol Republican circles during his teenage years, but switched parties while living in Washington, where he worked for a mayor shortly after earning his bachelor’s degree in international politics.
Deschaine drowned in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor after a day of boating on the Chesapeake Bay Sunday. His death was apparently accidental.
To learn more
Facebook: Deschaine Foundation for Excellence in Government
Website: www.deschaine.org
Twitter: @DFEG
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
So, is it Stortz?
The Republicans pick their municipal candidates on July 23 - only eight days from now. So far, they have no mayoral contender to take on Democrat Art Ward.Everywhere I go, people ask about whom the GOP might tap to run. The only name that comes up time and again is William Stortz, who has won two mayoral races and lost just one, serving most recently from 2005 until 2007, when he voluntarily stepped down. He also held the post from the time John Leone quit as mayor to go run the chamber of commerce until Frank Nicastro led a Democratic landslide in 1993 that left the GOP reeling for a decade.
The Republicans, it must be admitted, aren't too crazy about Stortz. Some of them positively loathe him. But Stortz is the only Republican in the past quarter century to win the mayor's office - and he did it twice.
Sure, some of the other candidates were hopeless longshots, but some pretty good candidates have tried, too, and come up short, including Mike Werner's bid for a comeback in 1999, Whit Betts' run in 1995 and Ken Johnson's narrow loss two years ago.
It's hard to see why the party can't even find a candidate this year, at least since Johnson pulled the plug on his nascent campaign.
So Stortz may be the one. And the Democrats might wish, in the end, that it was someone else.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Thibeault wins reappointment, Messier's fate uncertain
Cheryl Thibeault gained a four-year reappointment to the Board of Finance this week.
City councilors agreed unanimously to back her for another stint on the powerful panel.
One other fiscal overseer’s term came to an end in June, Ron Messier. Nothing was done to reappoint or replace him.Mayor Art Ward said he plans to meet with Messier in the next few days.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City councilors agreed unanimously to back her for another stint on the powerful panel.
One other fiscal overseer’s term came to an end in June, Ron Messier. Nothing was done to reappoint or replace him.Mayor Art Ward said he plans to meet with Messier in the next few days.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Conlin picked for assistant city attorney slot
City councilors unanimously agreed this week to hire another part-time lawyer.
Tom Conlin, a former Board of Finance vice chairman, will fill the remaining part-time assistant city attorney slot.
Conlin who partners in private practice with state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican, is well known and respected in political circles in town. He’s regarded as a low-key, friendly and non-partisan attorney.
But the appointment of Conlin by the Democratic-controlled council puts GOP-affiliated lawyers in both of the part-time city attorney slots. One of the two full-time attorneys, Ann Baldwin, is a political independent while the other, Richard Lacey, is a Democrat.
The appointment of Conlin leaves one more vacancy to fill – the city attorney position, which is also part-time.
The city has faced a shortage of lawyers since the unexpected resignation in May of both the city attorney, Dale Clift, and Jeff Steeg, an assistant city attorney. They sought more help,
Last month, councilors agreed to hire Edward Krawiecki, Jr, a former GOP legislator, to serve in one of the two part-time assistant city attorney openings. He had been city attorney during former Mayor William Stortz’s most recent stint in the city’s top job.
Krawiecki and Conlin will each earn $28,000 annually without benefits for their city work. The city attorney will earn $34,000 when one is hired.
Conlin served on the finance panel from 1997 until 2004, when he resigned to spend more time with his family.
Before winning a post on the finance board – over opposition from, among others, then-city Councilor Art Ward – Conlin chaired a panel that looked into potential reuse of the city landfill.
The panel discovered that plans to create a golf course or park there were virtually impossible to turn into reality, leaving open only the possibility of walking trails in the future. Nothing has ever been done to make the site accessible.
City councilors also approved a new five-year term for Baldwin as a city lawyer.
For more than 30 years, city Councilor Frank Nicastro said, “Attorney Baldwin has done an outstanding job.”
“She’s a credit to the city of Bristol,” said Nicastro, a former mayor.
“Ann has continually stepped up,” Ward added.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tom Conlin, a former Board of Finance vice chairman, will fill the remaining part-time assistant city attorney slot.
Conlin who partners in private practice with state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican, is well known and respected in political circles in town. He’s regarded as a low-key, friendly and non-partisan attorney.
But the appointment of Conlin by the Democratic-controlled council puts GOP-affiliated lawyers in both of the part-time city attorney slots. One of the two full-time attorneys, Ann Baldwin, is a political independent while the other, Richard Lacey, is a Democrat.
The appointment of Conlin leaves one more vacancy to fill – the city attorney position, which is also part-time.
The city has faced a shortage of lawyers since the unexpected resignation in May of both the city attorney, Dale Clift, and Jeff Steeg, an assistant city attorney. They sought more help,
Last month, councilors agreed to hire Edward Krawiecki, Jr, a former GOP legislator, to serve in one of the two part-time assistant city attorney openings. He had been city attorney during former Mayor William Stortz’s most recent stint in the city’s top job.
Krawiecki and Conlin will each earn $28,000 annually without benefits for their city work. The city attorney will earn $34,000 when one is hired.
Conlin served on the finance panel from 1997 until 2004, when he resigned to spend more time with his family.
Before winning a post on the finance board – over opposition from, among others, then-city Councilor Art Ward – Conlin chaired a panel that looked into potential reuse of the city landfill.
The panel discovered that plans to create a golf course or park there were virtually impossible to turn into reality, leaving open only the possibility of walking trails in the future. Nothing has ever been done to make the site accessible.
City councilors also approved a new five-year term for Baldwin as a city lawyer.
For more than 30 years, city Councilor Frank Nicastro said, “Attorney Baldwin has done an outstanding job.”
“She’s a credit to the city of Bristol,” said Nicastro, a former mayor.
“Ann has continually stepped up,” Ward added.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Lawmakers vow to keep tech school open
The Bristol Technical Education Center is virtually certain to remain open this year, state lawmakers said.
“The chances of that school closing are a billion to one,” said state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat serving his second term in the 79th District.
“I think it’s safe,” state Sen. Tom Colapietro said Wednesday. The 31st District Democrat from Bristol said he “can’t find an advantage to closing that school.”
Though Gov. Jodi Rell has proposed closing the school as part of her effort to shave billions in state spending, the city’s legislative delegation is determined to keep the school open. They have backing from legislative leaders, including House Speaker Chris Donovan, a Meriden Democrat.
Rell has also proposed shuttering the courthouse in Bristol, a move that legislators also oppose.
Nicastro said, though, that when he was asked which was more important to keep, he answered without hesitation that the technical school matters most.
A petition calling on state officials to leave the school alone is attracting many signatures around town, according to Mayor Art Ward, whose office is collecting the finished papers.
“It’s vital to the community and of the utmost importance” to keep the school open, the mayor said.
Rell’s office has made clear that she is merely searching for ways to save money and is ready to leave the school open as long as cuts can be made elsewhere.
The school’s fate is caught up in closed-door budget negotiations that have yet to reach a deal that both the governor and the legislature can stomach.
Colapietro said the technical education school in Bristol serves a crucial function in training people to do crucial jobs in everything from culinary arts to heating and air conditioning.
Shutting down the school will make it much harder for people to get training for good jobs, he said, and impose additional costs on employers who may have to shell out for the education for workers themselves.
“I will fight tooth and nail” to keep the school open, Colapietro said.
The Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce and local springmaking companies are also among the school’s champions. They are lobbying heavily to keep the school from closing.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Councilors OK school construction managers
City councilors agreed unanimously Tuesday to spent more than $4 million to hire construction managers for each of the new schools proposed to house half of Bristol’s elementary and middle school students.
The Torrington-based O&G Industries is slated to collect $2.15 million to oversee the work on the Forestville school project on Pine Street.
The West Bristol project off Matthews Street would be overseen by the Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. for $2.31 million.
Each of the firms will be responsible for keeping an eye on the $130 million project to build two kindergarten to eighth grade schools. They are to advise the building committees set up to handle the construction of each school.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said it is possible to hire construction managers that guarantee that the price of projects won’t go higher than anticipated, but that costs substantially extra up front.
Since the current schedule calls for finishing the new schools in 2015, he said, it’s almost impossible to know for sure what they’ll cost so no firm will lightly or cheaply offer any guarantees.
But there is a chance the timetable will be moved up so that major construction would begin in 2011 instead of 2013. Officials have discussed the possibility in hopes of getting lower overall prices while economic times are tough.
If the city opts to change the schedule, the construction managers would earn about $200,000 less between them.
Gilbane is part of a privately held company that’s been in business since 1873. It prides itself in advising clients on how to lower energy costs and holding down carbon emissions.
O&G has been around since 1923. It touts its experience and expertise in the field.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Torrington-based O&G Industries is slated to collect $2.15 million to oversee the work on the Forestville school project on Pine Street.
The West Bristol project off Matthews Street would be overseen by the Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. for $2.31 million.
Each of the firms will be responsible for keeping an eye on the $130 million project to build two kindergarten to eighth grade schools. They are to advise the building committees set up to handle the construction of each school.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said it is possible to hire construction managers that guarantee that the price of projects won’t go higher than anticipated, but that costs substantially extra up front.
Since the current schedule calls for finishing the new schools in 2015, he said, it’s almost impossible to know for sure what they’ll cost so no firm will lightly or cheaply offer any guarantees.
But there is a chance the timetable will be moved up so that major construction would begin in 2011 instead of 2013. Officials have discussed the possibility in hopes of getting lower overall prices while economic times are tough.
If the city opts to change the schedule, the construction managers would earn about $200,000 less between them.
Gilbane is part of a privately held company that’s been in business since 1873. It prides itself in advising clients on how to lower energy costs and holding down carbon emissions.
O&G has been around since 1923. It touts its experience and expertise in the field.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Deschaine's last day
J'aimee Huret and Desi Deschaine aboard Huret's boat, My 401(k), in May. After spending eight hours out on the Chesapeake Bay aboard his boyfriend’s 44-foot boat, Desi Deschaine decided to take a walk, according to J’aime Huret, who owned the boat.
Huret said that Deschaine, whom he’s been dating for several months, went out onto the dock at Baltimore’s Lighthouse Point Marina about 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
“Next thing you know, he vanished,” Huret said.
Huret said there were about 10 people on the boat, My 401(k), at the time and nobody expressed concern.
He said Deschaine had many friends at the marina and he figured his boyfriend had simply crashed on one of the other boats.
“We had no alarm,” Huret said.
But the next morning, after Huret’s alarm clock went off at 6:30 a.m. without Deschaine reappearing, he got worried.
He said Deschaine is “very dedicated to his job” and would have wanted to get going to Washington in time to arrive on schedule.
So Huret made the rounds at the marina, looking for Deschaine.
“I searched and searched the marina,” Huret said, without success.
At that point, he said, he phoned the police.
Later Monday, a Baltimore police sonar unit located Deschaine’s body underwater, not far from the boat.
Huret said he was told that Deschaine was fully clothed and showed no signs of bruising or broken ropes. He said he’s not sure what happened to Deschaine, that he apparently just fell in the water and drowned.
Huret said that Deschaine’s parents and sister from Bristol came down. They are understandably upset, he said.
He said that a funeral is planned in Bristol, but details are not yet ironed out.
Huret said that his relationship with Deschaine brought them both “pure joy” and that he will never forget his friend’s “spirit, drive, passion and energy.”
Huret said that Deschaine’s passion after politics “was fun and sun on the water. I am truly blessed that I had the opportunity with our eight guests to enjoy an incredibly beautiful day on the Chesapeake Bay together” on their final day.
“What an extraordinary lasting memory,” Huret said.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Bristol native Desi Deschaine dead at 29
An up-and-coming politician in the nation’s capital, 29-year-old Bristol native Desi Deschaine, was found Monday morning floating dead in the waters of Baltimore Harbor.Deschaine, a joyful and friendly fellow, has lived in Washington, D.C. since his 1997 graduation from Bristol Eastern High School, becoming immersed in Democratic politics there.
He always had a keen interest in government, even as a teenager in Bristol, when he and Jeff Letalien, a Bristol Central graduate, worked together for Republican candidates.
“We had fun,” Letalien said Tuesday, working on a number of campaigns. He said that Deschaine especially liked former U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson of New Britain.
Since then, Deschaine switched parties and worked for a number of political causes and candidates, most recently serving for a year and a half as the communications director for a D.C. council member.
On Sunday, shortly before noon, Deschaine wrote a Facebook message from his cell phone that said he was “getting ready for an amazing day boating in Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay on J’aime’s boat and hope our friends join for what will be an awesome and amazing afternoon on the water!!”
The police found Deschaine’s body floating in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Monday morning.
It’s not clear what happened, but they are investigating.
J’aime Huret, a friend who apparently owned the boat, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Deschaine, who was gay, described himself online as “outgoing, energetic, out to save the world (or at least help it), busy, over-extended, not one to sit on the sidelines of life.”
Nina Dubay of Bristol, one of Deschaine’s cousins, said Tuesday he was a “very well known man not just in Bristol but in D.C. as well – and probably everywhere in between.”
She said she grew up with Deschaine “so we were inseparable.”
Dubay called him a “happy, free-spirited, happy-go-lucky kind of guy” who will be missed by everyone who knew him.
“He definitely touched everybody’s heart that he came across,” she said. “Always smiling, never a frown on that boy’s face as a kid or as an adult.”
Marcus Mrowka, another Bristol native who’s working in Washington, said that “Desi was the most selfless person I know and a rare breed in politics. He came to Washington to make a difference and his commitment to helping others will always be remembered.”
“We were colleagues and friends,” he said. “Since we were both from Bristol, he would often ride back home with me for holidays. During those long car rides we would debate politics and discuss our futures. We didn't always agree on the issues or the radio station but those trips will be a lot lonelier now.”
Jack Evans, the D.C. council member for whom Deschaine worked, called him “a bright, bubbly, enthusiastic, and wonderful person who you just could not help but love.”
“ I had the great pleasure of knowing and working with him not just on my staff, but on my campaigns, and over the years with Mayor Williams’ staff, the Opera and numerous other capacities and roles,” Evans said.
“He brought his passion, energy and good spirits to everything and everyone he touched over the years,” he said.
Letalien, who’s an attorney in New York City, recalled that Deschaine “led the charge” a couple of years ago when a group of Eastern graduates invaded Central’s 10th reunion party as a lark.
Scott Pomeroy, who got to know Deschaine during former Washington Mayor Anthony Williams’ administration, said Tuesday that his friend was a “great person who cared deeply for this city and its issues.”
Deschaine once attributed his passion for politics to a trip he made to Guatemala at age 15.
“ I saw firsthand things that most people in this country never get a chance to see – at age 15 I grew up real fast!” he told Small Friendly Planet. “It’s hard to imagine a country where children -- thousands of children -- roam the streets homeless, sick and hungry!”
“When I stepped off the plane in America it was from that day forward that I decided to do everything I could to take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities given to people in this country to make this world a better place,” Deschaine said.
After graduating from Catholic University in 2001 with a degree in international politics, Deschaine worked on several campaigns and in a number of jobs, including head of external relations for the Washington Opera.
He was on the national committee for the Young Democrats, a member of the Democratic State Committee in Washington, vice president of the Logan Circle Community Association and much more.
A friend, Tina Duryea, said she used to give Deschaine rides home to Connecticut during the holidays.
"He was one of the most positive people I have ever met, and I never heard him so an unkind word about anyone. He had so much love and enthusiasm to share with the world." she said.
Duryea said, "I cannot fathom how someone so young and full of life could die so tragically young."
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A promising young man from Bristol dies in Baltimore
Desi Deschaine, left, with a friend. More than a decade ago, I got to know Desi Deschaine, 29, as a high school kid who had humor and talent. I knew he was going places.
And he did.
Keeing up with him on Facebook, I saw how he became part of the political elite in Washington, D.C. and I felt proud of his success.
So it makes me awfully sad to read this story today that Desi's body turned up in Baltimore Harbor yesterday after some sort of boating accident, or whatever.
Damn it.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Monday, July 13, 2009
Bristol native badly hurt in Afghanistan fighting
A Bristol native on his third wartime assignment was badly injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan last week.
Sgt. Joshua Bouchard, who joined the U.S. Marines five years ago, lost part of a leg and suffered severe back injuries, according to his aunt, Sandra Ouelette of Bristol.
Two other Marines in the vehicle – in the lead of a convoy in southeastern Afghanistan last Tuesday – were killed by the explosion, family members said.
“It’s pretty bad out there,” Oulette said Monday.
Bouchard, who underwent his second major back surgery Monday, was born in Bristol and grew up in town before moving with his parents to Amherst, Mass. before high school.
Mayor Art Ward, a Marine veteran who was injured in Vietnam, said he hopes Bouchard has “a speedy recovery.”
“We’re grateful for his service,” Ward said. He said soldiers such as Bouchard “are there for us and we need to be there for him” in his time of need.
“I would like people to know so they could say prayers for this brave soldier,” Ouelette said.
Bouchard’s parents, James and Suzann Bouchard, are with him at the hospital at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, Ouelette said.
“We were so afraid that he would not make it but fortunately he has so far,” she said.
The family learned of Bouchard’s injuries Wednesday. The military flew his parents to Germany to see their son and to help him with his recovery, Ouelette said.
James Bouchard is a Vietnam veteran who was also wounded in battle, his sister said.
“Wounded in Vietnam and your son goes and he gets wounded, too, like a domino thing,” Ouelette said.
Bouchard had served two tours in Iraq and recently signed on for his second four-year stint in the Marines, his aunt said.
The improvised explosive that injured Bouchard came during the largest U.S. military operation in Afghanistan since 2001.
Troops are targeting Taliban-held areas with the goal of reclaiming the territory for the U.S-backed central government before next month’s presidential election in the troubled country.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Gov. Rell still shuns Bristol's park project
It appears that Gov. Jodi Rell thinks Milford's $3 million boardwalk is more important than the $4 million Bristol was supposed to get for Rockwell Park.
I'm not sure why some commitments need to be honored while others can be ignored, even ones considered so crucial that the city itself picked up the tab to remake Rockwell Park.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
New digs for an old paper
As many of you probably realized, I've been on vacation. Though the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tempted me to put on some cool duds and head out on the road with a guitar, I decided to return to work. Since I can't sing or play music, it was probably for the best, though I've heard some opennig acts over the years that have made it clear that talent isn't always necessary for success.
Anyway, I'm back.
We're in the new Bristol Press office now, a cozy little place with a fine view of the rubble field where the mall once stood. As long as we're here, you can rest assured we'll know if a developer shows up.
I anticipate more attention to Main Street parking now that I see just how little of it exists, but otherwise the change in locale shouldn't make much difference to readers.
It doesn't seem like I missed much. But let me know if there's something that should have been in the paper but wasn't. I may be able to help.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City starts fiscal year in the red
The city is starting its fiscal year with a significant deficit.
Though finance officials said Monday they can't yet determine how deep a hole the city is already in, they are sure the budget ended the fiscal year in June in the red.
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said the city received less money than expected from building permit fees and conveyance taxes. It also faces a hefty tab for legal bills it hadn't planned for, he said.
“It's definitely an area of concern,” Mayor Art Ward said.
Though the shortfall is likely less than $1 million out of a $170 million spending plan, the city was already bracing for a difficult budget year The deficit just makes the job harder.
Putting the biggest crimp in the bottom line is a $375,000 bill from attorneys representing the cityin litigation involving its former landfill, which is leaking polluted water into the groundwater of neighboring parcels.
“That hart us. It really did,” Klocko said.
Ward said the city asked the law firm to review its billing to see if the figures could be lowered.
He said, though, that the legal bills “are just mounting and mounting and mounting.”
Klocko said the city anticipated lower revenues from building permits and conveyance taxes paid when real estate is sold, but didn't figure the hit would be as hard as it turned out.
The numbers wound up “far lower than expected., Klocko said.
The city won't have even a preliminary deficit figure until mid-November, Klocko said, when the draft financial report is ready. A final report is typically done in late December.
In the meantime, officials said, they're going to try even harder to squeeze city spending to try to close the gap.
“We need to monitor everything to a greate degree,” the mayor said, and search for ways to pare costs.
Klocko said the city's been doing all it can to contain expenses without slicing the services it offers. There's not much more it can do, he said, unless officials agree to reduce services or find some way to streamline government.
Klocko said the city did everything it could to minimize the impact of the economic downturn, but its options are limited.
“If a president can't do it, certainly it can't be done at a local level,” Klocko said.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Portion of Route 69 closed for three weeks
Press release from city public works:
As part of the Connecticut DOT’s on-going drainage improvements on Route 6, the State’s contractor will be closing a portion of Route 69 (Burlington Avenue Curtiss Street July 15, 2009 .
The closure will be in effect 24 hours per day and is expected to last approximately three weeks. Southbound traffic will be detoured via
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Friday, July 3, 2009
Ward: 'We will survive this difficult period'
Mayor Art Ward's state of the city speech, delivered Tuesday to a chamber of commerce breakfast gathering:
State of the City Address
Last year when I came before you to give my State of the City address, the recession was in its infancy. Though we had planned for the impact of the recession in the 2008-09 budget, we didn’t know the true severity of it; no one did. It has turned out to be worse then we thought, with several economy-driven revenues such as conveyance tax, building permits and interest income falling below budget projections.
On a more positive note, due to sound financial management and prudent practices, the City is in much better shape than many other communities within the State. We will survive this difficult period and continue to provide the citizens of this City with a safe and desirable place to live work and play.
Budget
Preparing the 2009-10 budget was one of the most difficult processes yet. I have been in Bristol politics close to 16 years and I don’t remember being faced with such unprecedented challenges, many out of our control. With no approved State budget and the State’s multi-billion dollar deficit, State revenues could only be estimated in the 2009-10 budget. We have many unfunded mandates that continue to consume our resources and, we have taxpayers who could not afford a tax increase.
Holding the line on property taxes is the first step we have taken to control spending and maintain a business-friendly environment.
With that being said, I am pleased to say that the 2009-10 budget was approved with no tax increase and no reduction in services. It is $108,000 less in actual spending than the 2008-09 budget, but let me be clear, we did not get there without sacrifices. Capital purchases have been delayed, funding for vacant positions has been eliminated, and all City unions, with the exception of the fire union – which opted to utilize the arbitration process to settle their contract, have agreed to concessions.
Looking ahead, we have agreed to begin the 2010-11 budgetary process in August, as opposed to December. The 2010-11 budgetary process may prove to be even more challenging than the 2009-10. I feel by beginning the process early, there will be more time to evaluate current processes, initiate more efficiencies and analyze the City’s overall operations. Difficult times call for difficult measures, and everything will be considered and explored.
Local Economic Indicators
Currently, unemployment in the City is 9.0%, with the State unemployment rate at 7.9% and the national rate at 8.9%. Even though we are higher than the State, I believe we have some interesting prospects on the horizon to add jobs and increase our tax base.
Businesses are relocating to the City due to grants offered through the Economic Development Committee. This program has been very successful and continues to draw inquiries to Bristol. We currently have four new businesses relocating or expanding with others in the works.
The City has been conducting a number of site visits to local manufacturers and distributors in a Retention and Expansion Program to assist existing businesses and seeing first hand how local companies are doing. The City will address the major issues facing these companies, provide direct assistance where possible and initiate referrals to state and federal agencies when necessary.
A project that came out of these visits was the expansion of a product line by Better Molded Products, a plastic injection molder. This product line came back from China and resulted in 18 new jobs. Better Molded was able to provide better delivery times and better quality at a competitive price.
Recently I visited with the Barnes Group and Theis Precision Steel. It is the duty of the City of Bristol to speak out for these companies and to oppose any exorbitant tax actions which would jeopardize their growth here.
Last week I was at Clark-Western Steel Framing Systems during the afternoon shift change, meeting with shop floor employees as well as the plant managers. They are continuing to hire employees. I can tell you that their employees are happy to work for a well-run company and happy to be gainfully employed. NOTHING IS AS IMPORTANT TO BRISTOL FAMILIES AS HAVING THE BREAD WINNER(S) EMPLOYED AT A STEADY JOB, AND IT’S MY COMMITMENT TO RETAIN PRESENT AND PROVIDE AND ENCOURATE FUTURE JOB CREATION!!!!
The Southeast Bristol Business Park has been substantially completed since I last came before you a year ago. Two of the twelve lots have been sold and we are actively marketing the sites to interested parties.
CMI Specialty Products, a producer and distributor of electromagnetic property steel, opened its doors late last month in a new 11,000 square foot building right on the corner with Redstone Hill Road.
The Bland Company, who produces specialty fasteners for the aircraft industry, has broken ground on a new 17,500 square foot plant. They expect to open later this year. They will be adding up to 6 jobs to the 15 people they employ today.
Beekley Corporation on Dolphin Road has just moved into its new 30,000 square foot facility earlier this month. They are adding 10 jobs to the 78 they already employ.
Despite concerns in the economy these are just some of the bright spots. Clark-Western steel framing has added jobs as did the Bauer Corporation, an aerospace equipment manufacturer, the Beekley Corporation and Better Molded Products. Main-stay businesses such as ESPN and Lake Compounce continue to maintain bright forecasts for the future.
Although we haven’t completed any leases yet, the BDA has been working to attract green jobs. Two green manufacturing companies have looked at Bristol to manufacture solar electrical products and a third company is looking at a green transportation technology. With the cooperation of Congressman John Larson, Bristol has helped influence federal legislation that will provide stimulus funds to help launch green jobs.
Despite a record number of foreclosures this year, the City’s tax collections remain surprisingly strong. We are currently exceeding budget on current, as well as prior year taxes. This will contribute to the consistently high tax collection rate which has been at or above 98% for more than 12 years. This has eased the burden on taxpayers and provided the City with a reliable revenue stream providing the ability to avoid large, unaffordable tax increases.
Through the efforts of our Grants Administrator, Robyn Bugbee, the City has just received a $345,000 EPA grant for the environmental clean-up of the former HJ Mills box factory site on Church Street. The clean-up is directly linked to the site’s reuse as parking lot with some amenities. Over the coming months a final design will be developed in a public process required by the grant, followed by site remediation and physical improvements. Anywhere from 45 to 75 parking spaces will be added (depending upon the final design) that will be available for the Imagine Nation Museum, Board of Education and adjoining private property owners.
The State Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) has agreed to the use of a portion of a grant for downtown to be used for streetscape improvements on Main Street. We expect to be able to fund the improvements from 60 to 100% of the project depending upon how bids come in.
The good news for taxpayers is that the very limited number of bids that we are putting out are very competitive right now.
The BDDC will soon be doing a comprehensive parking study for all of downtown and will be looking at reuse of the Bristol Armory which will become available from the State of Connecticut. They have decided to put out a Request for Qualifications to select a well-qualified developer who will in turn develop a plan for the re-use of the Depot Square site.
The Bristol Development Authority continues to work with both tenants and building owners to renovate facades and attract new users. LJ’s Restaurant will soon be offering Italian fare on North Main Street, next to Blondies and the Bristol Press is renovating space on Main Street just a couple of doors down from the Chamber of Commerce.
The Mall property otherwise known as “Depot Square” is ready for development with one of the two remaining buildings slated for demolition in July. The City and Bristol Downtown Development Corporation are working on a plan to market the property as the economy starts to rebound. We expect to have this property back on the Grand List for taxation in the near future.
Financials
The City’s past, present and future successes are the result of strong leadership combined with a great interest in maintaining the integrity of the community. The leaders of Bristol recognize the impact of committing to policies and procedures such as preservation of the City’s reserve fund as well as debt issuance practices. An example of this relates to the City’s debt issuance in January 2009. When presenting to the rating agencies, Bristol received an upgrade on their rating from Standard & Poor’s. I quote, from the rating report dated February 2, 2009, “Standard & Poor's considers Bristol's financial management practices "strong" under its financial management assessment (FMA) methodology, indicating the city's financial practices are strong, well embedded, and likely sustainable.” The upgrade has been estimated to save the City close to $70,000 over the life of the bond issue.
Financial Reporting Practices
The City continues to receive Government Finance Association awards for its CAFR, its Budget Document and its PAFR. All three awards are recognized and highlighted in our rating agency presentations.
The City’s three pension funds remain over funded, even with a tremendous loss due to the economy. Having over funded pension plans save the taxpayers millions of dollars annually, with no budgeted contributions. How many cities and towns can say that?
While this year ended June 30, 2009, we may end up in a deficit position, many cost saving measures have been put in place to reduce the deficit and our general fund fund balance will still be around 8.5 – 9%.
Overtime is scrutinized, and only approved on an as needed basis with justification required, conferences and travel are only allowed for employees to retain their licenses or certifications, and energy and fuel consumption is being monitored and investigated monthly.
In Conclusion
Bristol continues to move forward even in the most difficult of times. We have benefited from strong management, dedicated board members, and productive employees who all have the mindset of doing what is best for the community. We are committed to dedicating our efforts to conserve, monitor and address present and future needs of the community in a diligent and efficient manner.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
State of the City Address
Last year when I came before you to give my State of the City address, the recession was in its infancy. Though we had planned for the impact of the recession in the 2008-09 budget, we didn’t know the true severity of it; no one did. It has turned out to be worse then we thought, with several economy-driven revenues such as conveyance tax, building permits and interest income falling below budget projections.
On a more positive note, due to sound financial management and prudent practices, the City is in much better shape than many other communities within the State. We will survive this difficult period and continue to provide the citizens of this City with a safe and desirable place to live work and play.
Budget
Preparing the 2009-10 budget was one of the most difficult processes yet. I have been in Bristol politics close to 16 years and I don’t remember being faced with such unprecedented challenges, many out of our control. With no approved State budget and the State’s multi-billion dollar deficit, State revenues could only be estimated in the 2009-10 budget. We have many unfunded mandates that continue to consume our resources and, we have taxpayers who could not afford a tax increase.
Holding the line on property taxes is the first step we have taken to control spending and maintain a business-friendly environment.
With that being said, I am pleased to say that the 2009-10 budget was approved with no tax increase and no reduction in services. It is $108,000 less in actual spending than the 2008-09 budget, but let me be clear, we did not get there without sacrifices. Capital purchases have been delayed, funding for vacant positions has been eliminated, and all City unions, with the exception of the fire union – which opted to utilize the arbitration process to settle their contract, have agreed to concessions.
Looking ahead, we have agreed to begin the 2010-11 budgetary process in August, as opposed to December. The 2010-11 budgetary process may prove to be even more challenging than the 2009-10. I feel by beginning the process early, there will be more time to evaluate current processes, initiate more efficiencies and analyze the City’s overall operations. Difficult times call for difficult measures, and everything will be considered and explored.
Local Economic Indicators
Currently, unemployment in the City is 9.0%, with the State unemployment rate at 7.9% and the national rate at 8.9%. Even though we are higher than the State, I believe we have some interesting prospects on the horizon to add jobs and increase our tax base.
Businesses are relocating to the City due to grants offered through the Economic Development Committee. This program has been very successful and continues to draw inquiries to Bristol. We currently have four new businesses relocating or expanding with others in the works.
The City has been conducting a number of site visits to local manufacturers and distributors in a Retention and Expansion Program to assist existing businesses and seeing first hand how local companies are doing. The City will address the major issues facing these companies, provide direct assistance where possible and initiate referrals to state and federal agencies when necessary.
A project that came out of these visits was the expansion of a product line by Better Molded Products, a plastic injection molder. This product line came back from China and resulted in 18 new jobs. Better Molded was able to provide better delivery times and better quality at a competitive price.
Recently I visited with the Barnes Group and Theis Precision Steel. It is the duty of the City of Bristol to speak out for these companies and to oppose any exorbitant tax actions which would jeopardize their growth here.
Last week I was at Clark-Western Steel Framing Systems during the afternoon shift change, meeting with shop floor employees as well as the plant managers. They are continuing to hire employees. I can tell you that their employees are happy to work for a well-run company and happy to be gainfully employed. NOTHING IS AS IMPORTANT TO BRISTOL FAMILIES AS HAVING THE BREAD WINNER(S) EMPLOYED AT A STEADY JOB, AND IT’S MY COMMITMENT TO RETAIN PRESENT AND PROVIDE AND ENCOURATE FUTURE JOB CREATION!!!!
The Southeast Bristol Business Park has been substantially completed since I last came before you a year ago. Two of the twelve lots have been sold and we are actively marketing the sites to interested parties.
CMI Specialty Products, a producer and distributor of electromagnetic property steel, opened its doors late last month in a new 11,000 square foot building right on the corner with Redstone Hill Road.
The Bland Company, who produces specialty fasteners for the aircraft industry, has broken ground on a new 17,500 square foot plant. They expect to open later this year. They will be adding up to 6 jobs to the 15 people they employ today.
Beekley Corporation on Dolphin Road has just moved into its new 30,000 square foot facility earlier this month. They are adding 10 jobs to the 78 they already employ.
Despite concerns in the economy these are just some of the bright spots. Clark-Western steel framing has added jobs as did the Bauer Corporation, an aerospace equipment manufacturer, the Beekley Corporation and Better Molded Products. Main-stay businesses such as ESPN and Lake Compounce continue to maintain bright forecasts for the future.
Although we haven’t completed any leases yet, the BDA has been working to attract green jobs. Two green manufacturing companies have looked at Bristol to manufacture solar electrical products and a third company is looking at a green transportation technology. With the cooperation of Congressman John Larson, Bristol has helped influence federal legislation that will provide stimulus funds to help launch green jobs.
Despite a record number of foreclosures this year, the City’s tax collections remain surprisingly strong. We are currently exceeding budget on current, as well as prior year taxes. This will contribute to the consistently high tax collection rate which has been at or above 98% for more than 12 years. This has eased the burden on taxpayers and provided the City with a reliable revenue stream providing the ability to avoid large, unaffordable tax increases.
Through the efforts of our Grants Administrator, Robyn Bugbee, the City has just received a $345,000 EPA grant for the environmental clean-up of the former HJ Mills box factory site on Church Street. The clean-up is directly linked to the site’s reuse as parking lot with some amenities. Over the coming months a final design will be developed in a public process required by the grant, followed by site remediation and physical improvements. Anywhere from 45 to 75 parking spaces will be added (depending upon the final design) that will be available for the Imagine Nation Museum, Board of Education and adjoining private property owners.
The State Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) has agreed to the use of a portion of a grant for downtown to be used for streetscape improvements on Main Street. We expect to be able to fund the improvements from 60 to 100% of the project depending upon how bids come in.
The good news for taxpayers is that the very limited number of bids that we are putting out are very competitive right now.
The BDDC will soon be doing a comprehensive parking study for all of downtown and will be looking at reuse of the Bristol Armory which will become available from the State of Connecticut. They have decided to put out a Request for Qualifications to select a well-qualified developer who will in turn develop a plan for the re-use of the Depot Square site.
The Bristol Development Authority continues to work with both tenants and building owners to renovate facades and attract new users. LJ’s Restaurant will soon be offering Italian fare on North Main Street, next to Blondies and the Bristol Press is renovating space on Main Street just a couple of doors down from the Chamber of Commerce.
The Mall property otherwise known as “Depot Square” is ready for development with one of the two remaining buildings slated for demolition in July. The City and Bristol Downtown Development Corporation are working on a plan to market the property as the economy starts to rebound. We expect to have this property back on the Grand List for taxation in the near future.
Financials
The City’s past, present and future successes are the result of strong leadership combined with a great interest in maintaining the integrity of the community. The leaders of Bristol recognize the impact of committing to policies and procedures such as preservation of the City’s reserve fund as well as debt issuance practices. An example of this relates to the City’s debt issuance in January 2009. When presenting to the rating agencies, Bristol received an upgrade on their rating from Standard & Poor’s. I quote, from the rating report dated February 2, 2009, “Standard & Poor's considers Bristol's financial management practices "strong" under its financial management assessment (FMA) methodology, indicating the city's financial practices are strong, well embedded, and likely sustainable.” The upgrade has been estimated to save the City close to $70,000 over the life of the bond issue.
Financial Reporting Practices
The City continues to receive Government Finance Association awards for its CAFR, its Budget Document and its PAFR. All three awards are recognized and highlighted in our rating agency presentations.
The City’s three pension funds remain over funded, even with a tremendous loss due to the economy. Having over funded pension plans save the taxpayers millions of dollars annually, with no budgeted contributions. How many cities and towns can say that?
While this year ended June 30, 2009, we may end up in a deficit position, many cost saving measures have been put in place to reduce the deficit and our general fund fund balance will still be around 8.5 – 9%.
Overtime is scrutinized, and only approved on an as needed basis with justification required, conferences and travel are only allowed for employees to retain their licenses or certifications, and energy and fuel consumption is being monitored and investigated monthly.
In Conclusion
Bristol continues to move forward even in the most difficult of times. We have benefited from strong management, dedicated board members, and productive employees who all have the mindset of doing what is best for the community. We are committed to dedicating our efforts to conserve, monitor and address present and future needs of the community in a diligent and efficient manner.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Bristol can thrive, GOP council hopeful says
An address by Republican City Council candidate Derek Czenczelewski to the GOP's town committee this week:
At our last Republican Town Committee meeting we discussed the idea of a clustered approach towards business, in particular the technology sector. The idea, brought to our attention by Ed Krawiecki, is very intriguing. To summarize what “clustering” entails, it basically creates a job cluster of associated or related industry. When businesses cluster, everyone tends to win. Prices are adjusted to be the most competitive in the area, the best products are created and the cluster becomes known for the type of industry or service it provides. In our case, we would be utilizing ESPN’s name and reputation for communications and technology to attract other, related companies. This doesn’t mean we would become the “Sports Media Mecca” of the world, but rather a hotspot for IT and technology-related business.
Following the meeting I began to do a host of research on the technology sector, including IT companies in the state. I started out by asking individuals in the sector where the best talent is, both in state and in the region. The overwhelming majority told me that the best talent is coming from Massachusetts. Unfortunately, that talent is staying in Massachusetts. The northeast contains one of the largest hot spots for IT, and Connecticut is a player in this industry. With nearly 800 IT companies calling Connecticut home, we currently rank number 21 for states with the most IT companies. However, Bristol isn’t even in the top 10 among Connecticut cities despite being the home of ESPN. Of our neighbors, Connecticut ranks 5th, behind New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. According to MSNBC’s list of the “most expensive states for business,” New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts rank in the top 10. We have a great opportunity to attract these businesses from our neighbors by offering a cheaper alternative. Unfortunately, our state ranks 4th on that very list. We need to work with the state government to make doing business here in Connecticut a more attractive option. It’s the only way we will be able to create a high tech cluster here in Bristol. High tech industry will bring the best and the brightest to the city, and will further help us build up our local economy, reducing our tax burden.
I’ve heard a lot of excuses for why Bristol doesn’t have a thriving downtown yet as well, how we are too poor, too small, and too isolated. These excuses are used for basically everything that is questioned about Bristol. But this list of excuses is just that, a list of excuses. With Route 72 nearing completion, Bristol is nearly out of excuses. For instance, 5 of the top 10 IT cities in the state are actually smaller than Bristol, so we certainly aren’t too small. Cities like New Britain, whose median household income is significantly lower than Bristol’s, was named Connecticut’s 2008 Most Business Friendly City, so we aren’t too poor. People suggest that Bristol couldn’t sustain a downtown like Blue Back Square, yet Canton, with a population nearly 7 times smaller than Bristol’s, and possibly even more difficult to access, has The Shoppes at Farmington Valley. These shops, or similar ones, would do tremendous business here in Bristol. We have no excuses left to give as to why we can’t be more than what we are! We are the only ones holding ourselves back.
I understand why some have become so disillusioned. Suffering major blows like the loss of Yarde Metals, New Departure and falling short in our attempt at landing WFSB have caused this. The long, drawn out process that has become our downtown has continued this theme. However, we have every qualification to be a thriving city capable of sustaining many new ventures: a strong median household income, a top 10 population and with the completion of Route 72, easier access.
There has been an effort given to try to make our city a better place, but I just feel that these efforts have been too little, and are quickly approaching “too late” status as well. The BDA’s recent decision to find developers utilizing an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) instead of the RFP (Request for Proposals) they had initially used is a start. However, we should be doing our own part to find qualified developers. Why wait for firms to come to us, when we could be finding our ideal candidate? It’s not overly difficult to get a firm’s portfolio to see what they have accomplished and if they would be capable. We know what we want in downtown: a mixed-use development aimed at bringing young professionals (like myself) and others from around town, downtown. We need to take a more concerted effort to make the change we seek.
I’m not going to stand here criticizing our efforts thus far without putting my hat in the ring. I’m not scared to put my name next to our numerous development projects, nor am I afraid of making hard decisions. I highly suggest to our elected officials and the Board of Finance to start working on next year’s budget now, if they haven’t already begun to do so. I don’t have all the answers to our problems, but I do have a different viewpoint. It’s true that I’m young, but I also represent the very demographic so many of you that I’ve spoken with wish to keep in town, and want in local government. If this is what you truly want, if positive change and a new beginning for downtown is what you want; if new business, low taxes and new blood is what you want, then I will represent your views and do my best to make this a reality for my hometown.
Sincerely,
Derek A. Czenczelewski
(Running for 3rd District City Council)
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
At our last Republican Town Committee meeting we discussed the idea of a clustered approach towards business, in particular the technology sector. The idea, brought to our attention by Ed Krawiecki, is very intriguing. To summarize what “clustering” entails, it basically creates a job cluster of associated or related industry. When businesses cluster, everyone tends to win. Prices are adjusted to be the most competitive in the area, the best products are created and the cluster becomes known for the type of industry or service it provides. In our case, we would be utilizing ESPN’s name and reputation for communications and technology to attract other, related companies. This doesn’t mean we would become the “Sports Media Mecca” of the world, but rather a hotspot for IT and technology-related business.
Following the meeting I began to do a host of research on the technology sector, including IT companies in the state. I started out by asking individuals in the sector where the best talent is, both in state and in the region. The overwhelming majority told me that the best talent is coming from Massachusetts. Unfortunately, that talent is staying in Massachusetts. The northeast contains one of the largest hot spots for IT, and Connecticut is a player in this industry. With nearly 800 IT companies calling Connecticut home, we currently rank number 21 for states with the most IT companies. However, Bristol isn’t even in the top 10 among Connecticut cities despite being the home of ESPN. Of our neighbors, Connecticut ranks 5th, behind New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. According to MSNBC’s list of the “most expensive states for business,” New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts rank in the top 10. We have a great opportunity to attract these businesses from our neighbors by offering a cheaper alternative. Unfortunately, our state ranks 4th on that very list. We need to work with the state government to make doing business here in Connecticut a more attractive option. It’s the only way we will be able to create a high tech cluster here in Bristol. High tech industry will bring the best and the brightest to the city, and will further help us build up our local economy, reducing our tax burden.
I’ve heard a lot of excuses for why Bristol doesn’t have a thriving downtown yet as well, how we are too poor, too small, and too isolated. These excuses are used for basically everything that is questioned about Bristol. But this list of excuses is just that, a list of excuses. With Route 72 nearing completion, Bristol is nearly out of excuses. For instance, 5 of the top 10 IT cities in the state are actually smaller than Bristol, so we certainly aren’t too small. Cities like New Britain, whose median household income is significantly lower than Bristol’s, was named Connecticut’s 2008 Most Business Friendly City, so we aren’t too poor. People suggest that Bristol couldn’t sustain a downtown like Blue Back Square, yet Canton, with a population nearly 7 times smaller than Bristol’s, and possibly even more difficult to access, has The Shoppes at Farmington Valley. These shops, or similar ones, would do tremendous business here in Bristol. We have no excuses left to give as to why we can’t be more than what we are! We are the only ones holding ourselves back.
I understand why some have become so disillusioned. Suffering major blows like the loss of Yarde Metals, New Departure and falling short in our attempt at landing WFSB have caused this. The long, drawn out process that has become our downtown has continued this theme. However, we have every qualification to be a thriving city capable of sustaining many new ventures: a strong median household income, a top 10 population and with the completion of Route 72, easier access.
There has been an effort given to try to make our city a better place, but I just feel that these efforts have been too little, and are quickly approaching “too late” status as well. The BDA’s recent decision to find developers utilizing an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) instead of the RFP (Request for Proposals) they had initially used is a start. However, we should be doing our own part to find qualified developers. Why wait for firms to come to us, when we could be finding our ideal candidate? It’s not overly difficult to get a firm’s portfolio to see what they have accomplished and if they would be capable. We know what we want in downtown: a mixed-use development aimed at bringing young professionals (like myself) and others from around town, downtown. We need to take a more concerted effort to make the change we seek.
I’m not going to stand here criticizing our efforts thus far without putting my hat in the ring. I’m not scared to put my name next to our numerous development projects, nor am I afraid of making hard decisions. I highly suggest to our elected officials and the Board of Finance to start working on next year’s budget now, if they haven’t already begun to do so. I don’t have all the answers to our problems, but I do have a different viewpoint. It’s true that I’m young, but I also represent the very demographic so many of you that I’ve spoken with wish to keep in town, and want in local government. If this is what you truly want, if positive change and a new beginning for downtown is what you want; if new business, low taxes and new blood is what you want, then I will represent your views and do my best to make this a reality for my hometown.
Sincerely,
Derek A. Czenczelewski
(Running for 3rd District City Council)
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Bristol Press is moving
If everthing goes according to plan -- and when does it? -- The Bristol Press will move into its new quarters on Main Street this weekend.
I have lots of conflicting emotions about it, but recognize the century-old building we're in now is set up for the industrial production of papers, which is no longer what we do. It's hard for a newsroom to hum in a largely empty building.
But still. It's kind of painful to pack up and move on, as we all know.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Flags to fly at half staff to honor Korean War soldier
Press release from Gov. Jodi Rell:
Governor Rell Orders Flags to Half-Staff on Friday for Recently Recovered Korean Conflict Soldier
Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she is ordering U.S. and Connecticut flags to be flown at half-staff from dawn to dusk on Friday, June 26, to honor U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Lincoln “Cliff” May of Plainville, who was killed in action during the Korean War.
May’s remains were among several sets of remains sent to the United States by North Korea in 1993. They were identified this year by comparing DNA to samples provided by two nephews, Glenn and Cliff Block of Bristol.
“Several decades have passed since Sergeant First Class May left Connecticut to serve our country overseas, but today he is finally home,” Governor Rell said. “All of Connecticut honors his service and sacrifice. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sergeant May’s family and friends and we hope that his return will provide some closure to his loved ones.”
Funeral services for Sergeant May – who was killed in action in November of 1950 while serving with the First Cavalry Division – will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday at the O’Brien Funeral Home, 24 Lincoln Avenue, in Bristol. Burial with full military honors will follow in West Cemetery in Plainville.
May was born September 4, 1928, in Plainville. He attended local schools and was employed at the time of his enlistment in 1948 at manufacturer Landers, Frary and Clark in New Britain. Prior to being sent to Korea, he served as a military policeman atFort Dix in New Jersey and Fort Devens in Massachusetts.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Malloy backs ESPN, tech school, jobs
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Dan Malloy told party leaders recently that things have to change in
“The mere fact that they almost chased ESPN out of town is amazing,” Malloy said.
The tax changes that ESPN opposed have been stripped from revenue plans developed by the Democratic-controlled legislature after critics howled, but Republican Gov. Jodi Rell never backed the tax hikes that lawmakers initially sought.
But Rell came in for plenty of criticism from the
Malloy said that Rell’s plans to shutter technical schools in
“She’s clearly after you,” Malloy said.
Rell’s spokesmen have repeatedly said that no town has been targeted. They said that Rell is trying to spread the pain of closing an $8 billion budget gap as fairly as possible across the entire state.
They said that Rell doesn’t want to hike taxes so there’s no alternative except to close some courthouses, schools and other services in order to fund more crucial needs.
Malloy said that
Focusing on the need to create more jobs, he said, is “how the Democrats are going to win” the 2010 governor’s race.
At least two other top Democrats -- Secretary of the State Susan Bysiezwicz and former House Speaker James Amman -- are also in the running for their party’s gubernatorial backing.
Malloy said that he would like to avoid a potentially costly primary fight this time -- he lost one narrowly in 2006 to
Malloy, who’s stepping down as Stamford’s mayor in November after 14 years at the helm, said he’s got a better chance this time around because “nobody knew me” in 2006. He said he’s ready this time to win.
Rell, whose standing in the polls remains high, hasn’t said whether she’ll seek reelection. No other Republicans have indicated a desire to take her place.
Jim Hopkins, a Democratic activist in
“If they’re not going to pay their fair share, who’s going to pay?”
Malloy said the state needs a more progressive income tax so that the wealthy pay more.
But, he said, the state also has to “fight for every job” and can’t afford to risk losing businesses like ESPN to cheaper locales.
“It’s easy for them to leave,” Malloy said.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Veits, Block seeking reelection
City Treasurer Bill Veits is seeking a second term in the part-time post.
“I enjoy it,” Veits said. “I’m a numbers guy.”
Veits and city Councilor Cliff Block -- both Democrats -- recently declared their intention to run for reelection, resolving the last questions about the plans of incumbent politicians at City Hall for this year’s municipal races.
Veits said he loves working with the various departments in city government, serving on the Pension Board and overseeing “the girls in the treasurer’s office” who “basically do all the work.”
Block said he believes he’s making a difference on the council.
He said he hopes to stick around long enough “to spend some money one of these days” instead of simply figuring out where cuts should be made.
Veits defeated Republican Mark Anderson to capture the treasurer’s position in 2007 after the retirement of longtime Treasurer Patti Ewen.
Block took the seat vacated when longtime Councilor Art Ward opted to run, successfully, for mayor.
Also running in the 1st District is Republican incumbent Mike Rimcoski and Democratic newcomer Kevin Fuller.
Veits is a a self-employed enrolled agent and income tax specialist with a business in
The treasurer serves a two-year term for a salary of about $5,000. Councilors, who also serve two years, earn about $10,000.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Ward to give state of city speech next week
Press release from chamber of commerce:
BRISTOL -- The State of the City and Town breakfast meeting and beautification awards will be held on Tuesday, 8 a.m.. at Chippanee Golf Club on Marsh Road in Bristol.
Mayor Art Ward of Bristol, First Selectman Kathy Zabel of Burlington, Town Manager Robert E. Lee of Plainville, Mayor Vincent Festa of Plymouth, Town Manager Kathleen Eagen of Farmington, and Mayor Thomas Dunn of Wolcott have been invited and will give a briefing on the past year.
Also, Bristol Chamber’s Beautification Committee and the Men’s Bristol Garden Club will present their 2009 Beautification Awards.
For more information, please contact Cindy Scoville at (860) 314-2101, or the front desk at (860) 584-4718.
Mayor Art Ward of Bristol, First Selectman Kathy Zabel of Burlington, Town Manager Robert E. Lee of Plainville, Mayor Vincent Festa of Plymouth, Town Manager Kathleen Eagen of Farmington, and Mayor Thomas Dunn of Wolcott have been invited and will give a briefing on the past year.
Also, Bristol Chamber’s Beautification Committee and the Men’s Bristol Garden Club will present their 2009 Beautification Awards.
For more information, please contact Cindy Scoville at (860) 314-2101, or the front desk at (860) 584-4718.
What do you think of the state of the city? What would your address say?
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Block is running again
No surprise, of course, but city Councilor Cliff Block is running for reelection. He's a 1st District Democrat.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Plainville soldier's remains return home
The U.S. Army brought home a hero Tuesday.
Escorted by a few government cars and the police, the flag-draped coffin of Sgt. 1st Class Lincoln Clifford May of Plainville lay in the back of an O’Brien Funeral Home hearse as it drove the Korean War soldier’s remains back from the airport.
May, who died in 1950 during a ferocious battle with the Chinese Army in Korea, will be buried Friday near his family in Plainville’s West Cemetery.
The wake is slated to for 8:30 to 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with burial to follow.
May’s remains were among the boxes sent to the U.S. by North Korea in 1993. They were identified this year by comparing DNA to samples provided by two nephews, Glenn and Cliff Block of Bristol.
The funeral isn’t the only Korean War event this week.
The city’s Korean War veterans are marking the 59th anniversary of the start of the war with a ceremony on Memorial Boulevard at 11 a.m., Thursday.The ceremony will feature Bristol veteran Frank Parker talking about his experiences in combat during the Korean War in 1950 and 1951,A luncheon follows at the American Legion hall on Hooker Court. Korean War veterans are invited to attend.
To honor his uncle, Cliff Block said the Korean War veterans are raising money to purchase a commercial washer and dryer for the Veterans Home in Rocky Hill.
Donations can be sent to The Korean Conflict Veterans Association, c/o The American Legion Post #2, 22 Hooker Court, Bristol, CT 06010.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Escorted by a few government cars and the police, the flag-draped coffin of Sgt. 1st Class Lincoln Clifford May of Plainville lay in the back of an O’Brien Funeral Home hearse as it drove the Korean War soldier’s remains back from the airport.
May, who died in 1950 during a ferocious battle with the Chinese Army in Korea, will be buried Friday near his family in Plainville’s West Cemetery.
The wake is slated to for 8:30 to 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with burial to follow.
May’s remains were among the boxes sent to the U.S. by North Korea in 1993. They were identified this year by comparing DNA to samples provided by two nephews, Glenn and Cliff Block of Bristol.
The funeral isn’t the only Korean War event this week.
The city’s Korean War veterans are marking the 59th anniversary of the start of the war with a ceremony on Memorial Boulevard at 11 a.m., Thursday.The ceremony will feature Bristol veteran Frank Parker talking about his experiences in combat during the Korean War in 1950 and 1951,A luncheon follows at the American Legion hall on Hooker Court. Korean War veterans are invited to attend.
To honor his uncle, Cliff Block said the Korean War veterans are raising money to purchase a commercial washer and dryer for the Veterans Home in Rocky Hill.
Donations can be sent to The Korean Conflict Veterans Association, c/o The American Legion Post #2, 22 Hooker Court, Bristol, CT 06010.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Monday, June 22, 2009
Seeking World War II vets for a story
Anyone out there who can help me find a few World War II veterans who are willing to tell a story about their experiences? I have an editor who wants me to write up a few vets' stories -- and I have to do it right away.
The other thing is that we need pictures of the vets whose stories are used both from during the war and today.
So I'm looking for a few folks who are willing. You can contact me at scollins@bristolpress.com.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The other thing is that we need pictures of the vets whose stories are used both from during the war and today.
So I'm looking for a few folks who are willing. You can contact me at scollins@bristolpress.com.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
BDA KO's intersection overhaul on Federal Hill
Five months after backing the possible realignment of High and Summer streets, city development officials opted Monday to abandon the proposal.
“It’s a fine idea,” said Jonathan Rosenthal, the city’s economic development director, but there’s no money to buy the necessary property.
“It’s not going further,” he said.
The Bristol Development Authority, which agreed in February to pay $29,250 to Beta Group, a design firm, to work up a plan for fixing up the troubled intersection, unanimously killed the project.
About $20,000 is left in the account following survey work, officials said. That money will be used to bolster the more than $1 million Main Street streetscape project
Rosenthal said the survey work will be helpful in the future so the money spent wasn’t squandered.
The streetscape project is slated to get underway during the fiscal year that begins July 1. It aims to revamp the appearance of Main Street between Riverside Avenue and the top of the hill so that it will roughly match the 2005 North Main Street overhaul.
Officials had hoped to buy at least one of the decrepit apartments at the corner of High and Summer, raze it and straighten out the juncture.
Rosenthal said that because there is no prospect of the city having the cash to purchase the building, demolish it and do the project, it made sense to kill it.
The project has the backing of business and neighborhood groups. The only opposition initially came from city Councilor Craig Minor, who called it “a waste of money” that should be used for more pressing issues.
Rosenthal and other city leaders said that until the project design was done, the city wouldn’t even know how much the realigned intersection would cost.
City officials have long eyed the possibility of razing some of the aging apartments on the west side of Main Street near the library because they have no parking and are so beaten up that they hold little attraction for the young urban professionals the city would like to attract downtown.
The Main Street streetscape, which has funding, would include trees, benches and other pedestrian-friendly improvements.The initial plan includes small plazas, traffic calming measures along the roadway, new sidewalks, distinctive crosswalks and other features similar to what’s been done on North Main Street.
Officials hope that improving the streetscape will lead to more commercial activity and a safer, friendlier environment for residents, a key element for pumping life into the city’s troubled downtown.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
“It’s a fine idea,” said Jonathan Rosenthal, the city’s economic development director, but there’s no money to buy the necessary property.
“It’s not going further,” he said.
The Bristol Development Authority, which agreed in February to pay $29,250 to Beta Group, a design firm, to work up a plan for fixing up the troubled intersection, unanimously killed the project.
About $20,000 is left in the account following survey work, officials said. That money will be used to bolster the more than $1 million Main Street streetscape project
Rosenthal said the survey work will be helpful in the future so the money spent wasn’t squandered.
The streetscape project is slated to get underway during the fiscal year that begins July 1. It aims to revamp the appearance of Main Street between Riverside Avenue and the top of the hill so that it will roughly match the 2005 North Main Street overhaul.
Officials had hoped to buy at least one of the decrepit apartments at the corner of High and Summer, raze it and straighten out the juncture.
Rosenthal said that because there is no prospect of the city having the cash to purchase the building, demolish it and do the project, it made sense to kill it.
The project has the backing of business and neighborhood groups. The only opposition initially came from city Councilor Craig Minor, who called it “a waste of money” that should be used for more pressing issues.
Rosenthal and other city leaders said that until the project design was done, the city wouldn’t even know how much the realigned intersection would cost.
City officials have long eyed the possibility of razing some of the aging apartments on the west side of Main Street near the library because they have no parking and are so beaten up that they hold little attraction for the young urban professionals the city would like to attract downtown.
The Main Street streetscape, which has funding, would include trees, benches and other pedestrian-friendly improvements.The initial plan includes small plazas, traffic calming measures along the roadway, new sidewalks, distinctive crosswalks and other features similar to what’s been done on North Main Street.
Officials hope that improving the streetscape will lead to more commercial activity and a safer, friendlier environment for residents, a key element for pumping life into the city’s troubled downtown.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Democrats meet tonight
Dan Malloy, a gubernatorial contender, is talking to the Democratic Town Committee this evening.
We'll no doubt have some more City Council contenders before the day is through, too.
I'll try to get it all, but that's easier said than done. Candidates, be sure you let me know what you're doing. You can reach me at scollins@bristolpress.com or screaming my name on North Main Street until I hear you. I recommend dropping me a line.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Courant's woes
The Hartford Courant is dumping its redesigned front page in favor, probably, of one that looks more like the old version.
But its problems aren't merely cosmetic. If the paper wants people to think of it like they used to, it needs more news. Hire back all those fired reporters, editors, photographers and others who were so integral to the creation of a great Connecticut daily.
As it is, the Courant may still be the best paper in the state -- though it's arguable nowadays -- but every day it serves in part to remind us of how far it's fallen.
Sometimes, it seems like the forgotten stepchild of Channel 61, which is simply an awful fate for a newspaper that commanded so much respect only a few years ago.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Friday, June 19, 2009
Back in the saddle...
Sorry for the lack of posts. I was under the weather -- I think we were all in danger of becoming toadstools -- but am doing a bit better today.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Strange politics at play
Taking into account that Gov. Jodi Rell is a Republican, it's strange that she's taking aim at a Bristol technical school championed by GOP stalwarts.
There are no shortage of state institutions in Democratic districts, after all, and the logic of the proposed closure of the Bristol Technical Education Center is shaky at best. The $2 million savings Rell anticipates almost certainly don't exist.
The school is located in state Rep. Bill Hamzy's 78th District. Hamzy, a former state GOP chairman, is an increasingly respected figure within state Republican circles who doesn't appear to have any personal conflicts with Rell.
He's also a big backer of the school.
And the head of the state's technical high school committee is yet another Republican with ties to Rell: Bristol's Beverly Bobroske. She's also a strong supporter of the school.
Throw in the insistence by the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce and a host of businesses throughout the region that hire the school's graduates and the political logic of targeting it gets even more odd.
The school has bipartisan backing, to be sure. Democrats say they love it, too, and have shown over the years that they mean it.
So what's the deal with it? The only critics of the place only argue that if something has to close to save painful cuts somewhere else, then shut it down.
But if there are no real savings from closure and political powerbrokers on both sides of the aisle want it to stay open, what's really going on?
It's hard to believe that Rell would, in the end, stick it to the Republican lawmaker who represents the school and shutter a school whose overseer is one of her GOP allies. That's just not how politics works.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
There are no shortage of state institutions in Democratic districts, after all, and the logic of the proposed closure of the Bristol Technical Education Center is shaky at best. The $2 million savings Rell anticipates almost certainly don't exist.
The school is located in state Rep. Bill Hamzy's 78th District. Hamzy, a former state GOP chairman, is an increasingly respected figure within state Republican circles who doesn't appear to have any personal conflicts with Rell.
He's also a big backer of the school.
And the head of the state's technical high school committee is yet another Republican with ties to Rell: Bristol's Beverly Bobroske. She's also a strong supporter of the school.
Throw in the insistence by the Greater Bristol Chamber of Commerce and a host of businesses throughout the region that hire the school's graduates and the political logic of targeting it gets even more odd.
The school has bipartisan backing, to be sure. Democrats say they love it, too, and have shown over the years that they mean it.
So what's the deal with it? The only critics of the place only argue that if something has to close to save painful cuts somewhere else, then shut it down.
But if there are no real savings from closure and political powerbrokers on both sides of the aisle want it to stay open, what's really going on?
It's hard to believe that Rell would, in the end, stick it to the Republican lawmaker who represents the school and shutter a school whose overseer is one of her GOP allies. That's just not how politics works.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rationale for Bristol tech school unclear
It’s not clear why Gov. Jodi Rell is trying to close the Bristol Technical Education Center.
The chair of the state Board of Education’s Technical High School Committee, Beverly Bobroske, said the state panel never recommended its closure and believes “very, very strongly” that it should remain open.
Bobroske, a former head of Bristol’s Board of Education and an unsuccessful Republican contender for state Senate in 2004 and 2006, said the school serves a crucial need.
Gov. Jodi Rell’s proposed budget would shutter the two-year school in order to save taxpayers $2 million annually, a figure that remains unexplained. Rell said that painful cuts such as the closing the technical school are needed to close a monstrous budget hole without resorting to tax hikes.
State Rep. Chris Wright, a Bristol Democrat whose 77th District covers the northeastern section of town, said that sacrifices are going to be necessary to address the budget.
“But sacrificing the future of our children, sacrificing the future of our state, is not the way to do that,” Wright said.
The claim that closing the school will save $2 million annually doesn’t appear to hold weight to those who know the institution.
Because of labor agreements reached between the state and its unions, which agreed to wage cuts in return for a no-layoffs guarantee, the staff of the school will remain on the payroll. They’d simply be shifted to one of the other technical schools for at least the next two years.
“No one will be laid off,” said Abigail Hughes, the superintendent of the technical high school system.
Since labor costs make up the bulk of the expense at the technical school, officials said, it’s hard to imagine how closing it could lead to significant savings.
The governor’s budget cites the savings from laying off 30 people to explain its purported cost-cutting. But few if any of the personnel at the school can be laid off due to the deal Rell made with state workers.
The other technical school targeted by Rell, Stamford’s Wright Technical School, is suffering from dwindling enrollment and aging infrastructure.
Bobroske said the state school panel indicated in December that it might suspend the Stamford school’s operations for a couple of years while an agreement about its future could be worked out with a nearby community college.
Even that, Bobroske said, was done reluctantly.
But nobody ever considered shutting down the Bristol school, she said.
Students at the school Tuesday who have toured other technical schools said that Bristol’s technology is much better the norm and its educational program superb.
“There is no reason or justification as to why a school that creates so many life-changing opportunities and gives back so much to the community should be closed,” said Kyle Orde, an adult student who attends it.
Ben Russell, who teaches manufacturing, said the school provides the basis of a solid career for its students.
“Get a foundation and you can go anywhere,” Russell said. “It’s a great little school.”
Enrollment
Between October and May, only one technical school in Connecticut saw its high school age enrollment rise: the Bristol Technical Education Center.
Among the other 17 technical schools in the state, the average class lost 3 percent of its students.
Only Bristol, where the number rose from 108 to 113 students, saw an increase in those attending during the course of the school year, according to statistics provided by the state Board of Education’s Technical High School Committee.
Bristol also has another 22 adult students who paid more than $64,000 in tuition to attend this year, a number that’s slated to rise to more than $105,000 next year when 34 adults have been accepted.
Bristol’s technical school also has 106 students on its waiting list for the academic year that begins in August.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The chair of the state Board of Education’s Technical High School Committee, Beverly Bobroske, said the state panel never recommended its closure and believes “very, very strongly” that it should remain open.
Bobroske, a former head of Bristol’s Board of Education and an unsuccessful Republican contender for state Senate in 2004 and 2006, said the school serves a crucial need.
Gov. Jodi Rell’s proposed budget would shutter the two-year school in order to save taxpayers $2 million annually, a figure that remains unexplained. Rell said that painful cuts such as the closing the technical school are needed to close a monstrous budget hole without resorting to tax hikes.
State Rep. Chris Wright, a Bristol Democrat whose 77th District covers the northeastern section of town, said that sacrifices are going to be necessary to address the budget.
“But sacrificing the future of our children, sacrificing the future of our state, is not the way to do that,” Wright said.
The claim that closing the school will save $2 million annually doesn’t appear to hold weight to those who know the institution.
Because of labor agreements reached between the state and its unions, which agreed to wage cuts in return for a no-layoffs guarantee, the staff of the school will remain on the payroll. They’d simply be shifted to one of the other technical schools for at least the next two years.
“No one will be laid off,” said Abigail Hughes, the superintendent of the technical high school system.
Since labor costs make up the bulk of the expense at the technical school, officials said, it’s hard to imagine how closing it could lead to significant savings.
The governor’s budget cites the savings from laying off 30 people to explain its purported cost-cutting. But few if any of the personnel at the school can be laid off due to the deal Rell made with state workers.
The other technical school targeted by Rell, Stamford’s Wright Technical School, is suffering from dwindling enrollment and aging infrastructure.
Bobroske said the state school panel indicated in December that it might suspend the Stamford school’s operations for a couple of years while an agreement about its future could be worked out with a nearby community college.
Even that, Bobroske said, was done reluctantly.
But nobody ever considered shutting down the Bristol school, she said.
Students at the school Tuesday who have toured other technical schools said that Bristol’s technology is much better the norm and its educational program superb.
“There is no reason or justification as to why a school that creates so many life-changing opportunities and gives back so much to the community should be closed,” said Kyle Orde, an adult student who attends it.
Ben Russell, who teaches manufacturing, said the school provides the basis of a solid career for its students.
“Get a foundation and you can go anywhere,” Russell said. “It’s a great little school.”
Enrollment
Between October and May, only one technical school in Connecticut saw its high school age enrollment rise: the Bristol Technical Education Center.
Among the other 17 technical schools in the state, the average class lost 3 percent of its students.
Only Bristol, where the number rose from 108 to 113 students, saw an increase in those attending during the course of the school year, according to statistics provided by the state Board of Education’s Technical High School Committee.
Bristol also has another 22 adult students who paid more than $64,000 in tuition to attend this year, a number that’s slated to rise to more than $105,000 next year when 34 adults have been accepted.
Bristol’s technical school also has 106 students on its waiting list for the academic year that begins in August.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Pleading the case for Bristol tech school
James Murdock, an electrical contractor for the past 43 years, said Tuesday the Bristol Technical Education Center is crucial for young people looking to get into the trades.
“We need people who can do things with their hands,” Murdock said.
But the fate of the school depends less on how well it educates the next generation of skilled workers than how well the school’s backers can make its case in the corridors of the Capitol in the coming days.
House Speaker Christopher Donovan, a Meriden Democrat, stood in front of a battery of television cameras in front of the school Tuesday to declare that closing it would “the wrong thing to do.”
“We need to cut fat, not muscle,” Donovan said, “and this is muscle.”
Gov. Jodi Rell has targeted the school for closure in a bid to save the money needed to cope with an $8 billion budget gap. She said that finding the cash requires some painful cuts, including shuttering the school in Bristol.
Mike Nicastro, president of the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce, said the tech school is needed.
“We still have a manufacturing base here. We need to supply that base,” Nicastro said. “Why would we kill such an integral, important piece of this community?”
Plymouth resident Cindy Scoville said the Bristol-based New England Spring and Metalstamping Association has had “a brother-sister” relationship with the school since it opened.
The idea of closing it “just boggles my mind,” Scoville said.
“I don’t even understand why we would ever think of dismantling the shining example of regionalization,” Mayor Art Ward said, pointing to the more than two dozen towns whose students attend it.
The state representative whose 78th District includes the school, Republican Bill Hamzy of Plymouth, said its unique two-year program has proven itself worthwhile.
Michael Suchopar, who heads the Bristol Boys and Girls Club, said it helps students whose potential can “go untapped in a public school.”
Closing it, he said, would “close the doors to the future for many of these students.”
“It serves a purpose even greater than we recognize,” Suchopar said.
Former Burlington First Selectman Theodore Scheidel said that “to have it go away would be very sad for the community.”
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
“We need people who can do things with their hands,” Murdock said.
But the fate of the school depends less on how well it educates the next generation of skilled workers than how well the school’s backers can make its case in the corridors of the Capitol in the coming days.
House Speaker Christopher Donovan, a Meriden Democrat, stood in front of a battery of television cameras in front of the school Tuesday to declare that closing it would “the wrong thing to do.”
“We need to cut fat, not muscle,” Donovan said, “and this is muscle.”
Gov. Jodi Rell has targeted the school for closure in a bid to save the money needed to cope with an $8 billion budget gap. She said that finding the cash requires some painful cuts, including shuttering the school in Bristol.
Mike Nicastro, president of the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce, said the tech school is needed.
“We still have a manufacturing base here. We need to supply that base,” Nicastro said. “Why would we kill such an integral, important piece of this community?”
Plymouth resident Cindy Scoville said the Bristol-based New England Spring and Metalstamping Association has had “a brother-sister” relationship with the school since it opened.
The idea of closing it “just boggles my mind,” Scoville said.
“I don’t even understand why we would ever think of dismantling the shining example of regionalization,” Mayor Art Ward said, pointing to the more than two dozen towns whose students attend it.
The state representative whose 78th District includes the school, Republican Bill Hamzy of Plymouth, said its unique two-year program has proven itself worthwhile.
Michael Suchopar, who heads the Bristol Boys and Girls Club, said it helps students whose potential can “go untapped in a public school.”
Closing it, he said, would “close the doors to the future for many of these students.”
“It serves a purpose even greater than we recognize,” Suchopar said.
Former Burlington First Selectman Theodore Scheidel said that “to have it go away would be very sad for the community.”
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Dems back off plan to hike taxes on ESPN
State House Democrats have abandoned a plan to eliminate tax breaks that ESPN said are important to its future in Connecticut.Tossing out the tax credits the sports giant said it wants is off the table, said state House Speaker Christopher Donovan, a Meriden Democrat.
“We’re putting them back” in the budget, Donovan said Tuesday.
Mike Soltys, an ESPN vice president, said the company is “very appreciative the House leadership has recognized our concerns and the detrimental impact this could have on our business” if the tax increase was enacted.
A tax package approved by a legislative committee in May would strip sales tax exemptions on broadcast equipment, end the tax waiver for purchase of time using satellite or fiber signals and a couple of other breaks that help hold down ESPN’s tax bill.
The tax credit changes sought by the panel are “off the table,” Donovan said during a stop at the Bristol Technical Education Center.
Mayor Art Ward hailed the move.
“Needless to say, it’s good for Bristol and for ESPN,” Ward said. “I’m ecstatic they recognize the contributions of a business such as ESPN.”
The sports giant has grown from a tiny enterprise into one of the world’s broadcasting powerhouses during its 30 years in Bristol. It is easily the city’s largest taxpayer and employer.
“Our world headquarters is in Bristol and we’d prefer to grow right here in Bristol,” Soltys said.
Donovan credited the city’s legislative delegation for pushing to leave the tax breaks sought by ESPN in place
Donovan said that state Reps. Chris Wright and Frank Nicastro, both Bristol Democrats, pushed for ESPN’s agenda.
“They said this is important to us and we said we hear you,” Donovan said.
“Because of their input, it is likely the credits will be restored,” he said.
Gov. Jodi Rell has frequently cited her opposition to any tax increases as officials seek ways to close an $8 billion budget gap. The lieutenant governor, Michael Fedele, warned that if the breaks weren’t left intact, ESPN might leave the state.
Though ESPN never said it might move out, it did say that removing the tax breaks could cause it to reconsider where it opts to grow in the years to come.
There is no budget deal yet between Rell and the legislature. The House and Senate Democrats are not necessarily on the same page either, officials said, but the Democrats will pass a budget by month’s end one way or another, Donovan said.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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