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| Frank Nicastro, blowing his trumpet (Photo by Mike Orazzi/The Bristol Press) |
Showing posts with label Lake Compounce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lake Compounce. Show all posts
September 4, 2014
Crocodile Club will draw politicos to Bristol Friday
August 2, 2014
Crocodile Club coming in September
One of the nation’s longest-standing political events, the Crocodile Club dinner at Lake Compounce, will be back again this year.
The Sept. 5 gathering, a fundraiser for the New England Carousel Museum, is expected to draw its normal crowd of politicians expected to adhere to the time-honored tradition of carving out the afternoon for humor and friendship over a meal of lamb and fried corn.
“We’re hoping to play to a packed house,” said Louise DeMars, the director of the museum.
She said that with so many political races going on, there’s a good chance for a large turnout because so many politicians are searching “for a stage in the arena.” Click here for full story.
This is one of those time-honored traditions that anyone who cares about Bristol, politics or history should be damn sure to attend. Let it die and something special will have slipped away forever.
The money it costs goes to the New England Carousel Museum, a worthy charity by any standards, so there's no excuse to stay home. Go if you can. It's a little quaint and sometimes corny but it's a once-a-year opportunity to share a meal with a lot of interesting people you usually see only on television.
July 24, 2014
Bristol gets a nod in new Hollywood flick
August 5, 2012
Crocodile Club gathers on September 7
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| Frank Nicastro and Richard Inglis, with a crocodile, at a Crocodile Club gahering more than a decade ago. |
BRISTOL, CT – The Crocodile Club is back again this year and will be held at Lake Compounce on Friday, September 7, 2012. Lake Compounce General Manager Jerry Brick continues to support this event in the tradition established by the Norton family for Lake Compounce, the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the country. The Crocodile Club will celebrate its 131th reunion dinner with its unique gathering of individuals who put aside their political differences to celebrate this commitment by the park owners.
Please join in, as a capacity turnout is expected.
As usual, the festivities will begin with the social hour at 1:00 P.M. (when crocodile tears are shed!). For early arrivers, a cash bar will be available from 12:00 noon onward upstairs in the ballroom. The traditional dinner of lamb and fried corn with all the trimmings, which was first served in 1875, will commence promptly at 2:00 PM. During dinner, Crocodile Club President, Ray Dunaway will preside over a lively and interesting program. Good speeches and bad jokes are limited to three minutes per person, and NO serious political speeches are allowed.
The “Crocodile Club” was formed in 1875 when Gad Norton, who was a former legislator, and who also started the amusement park in 1846, decided to thank his colleagues in the State Legislature for their help in passing a statute that changed the town line between Bristol and Southington so as to put his farmhouse in Bristol. The reason for this request was so that he could vote in Bristol where he did all his trading and knew more people. Also, in the days of horses and buggies, old dirt roads, and tough winters, the three mile ride to Bristol was a lot easier than the six miles to Southington.
You must come and learn all of the traditions, meet new and old friends, relish the unique menu, and shake hands with all the important politicians, including this year’s political candidates from all parties. Never will you see and meet so many candidates from all sides in one place in such intimate surroundings, all having a good time kidding each other, with no serious politics allowed. That policy was dictated to the original group by host, Gad Norton himself, who said, “There will be no serious politics allowed, no post-mortems from the last legislative session, -- just pleasant sociability, good fun, and good food.”
Guests will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis. A payment made payable to Crocodile Club for fifty dollars each must be received for each participant by August 20, 2012. Mail to the Crocodile Club, c/o Carousel Museum, 95 Riverside Ave, Bristol, CT 06010. The dinner registration form can be downloaded from the Carousel Museum website. www.thecarouselmuseum.org
Upon receipt of your payment, your name will be entered into the guest database and your ticket(s) will be mailed to you or they can be picked up at “will call” at the front gate. Transportation will be provided from the Lake Compounce parking lot to the main gate. You must have your ticket with you in order to get into the ballroom and get fed.
For tickets contact the New England Carousel Museum, 95 Riverside Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010. 860 585-5411.
September 1, 2010
Lake Compounce featured in New York Times
While I was on vacation, The New York Times did a nice spread on the Boulder Dash roller coaster at Lake Compounce. Check it out here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 31, 2010
Photographs from the Crocodile Club 2010
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
July 22, 2010
Lake Compounce will try to open on time
Lake Compounce hopes to open on time at 11 a.m. this morning.
It still lacks power, but the juice is supposed to be on in time. It may, however, open late if there's a hitch.
I'd call or check its website before heading over.
The nation's oldest amusement park has been without electricity since a powerful storm swept through Wednesday afternoon, forcing its early closure.
Mayor Art Ward said that many trees along the park's access road were down and that crews from Connecticut Light & Power were trying to reestablish power this morning.
It does not appear the park suffered any notable damage from the storm, the mayor said.
Update at 11:30 a.m. -- The park is open. Power is restored. Some rides may be down part of the day, however, because of the weather yesterday.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
July 13, 2010
Crocodile Club makes a comeback
Press release from the New England Carousel Museum:
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Crocodile Club is back!
The New England Carousel Museum, a non-profit treasure in the Connecticut community, has received permission from the Norton family to resurrect the old Crocodile Club. Lake Compounce has agreed to work with the Museum to bring back the annual dinner meeting at the usual gathering place, the Lake Compounce Ballroom. Lake Compounce General Manager Jerry Brick continues to support this event as a symbol of his commitment to the tradition established by the Norton family for Lake Compounce, the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the country. The Crocodile Club, will celebrate its 129th reunion dinner with its unique gathering of individuals who put aside their political differences to celebrate this commitment by the park owners. Please join us on Tuesday, August 31, 2010, as a capacity turnout is expected. This is a big and exciting local election year! As a special treat from our generous hosts, free rides on the carousel will be available from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm.
As usual, the festivities will begin with the social hour at 1:00 P.M. (when crocodile tears are shed!) For early arrivers, a cash bar will be available from 12:00 noon onward upstairs in the ballroom. The traditional dinner of lamb and fried corn with all the trimmings, that was first served in 1875, will commence promptly at 2:00 PM. After dinner, a lively and interesting program with guest speakers will follow. Remember, good speeches and bad jokes are limited to three minutes per person, and NO political speeches are allowed.
We are told by the Norton family that the “Crocodile Club” was formed in 1875 when Gad Norton, who was a former legislator, and who also started the amusement park in 1846, decided to thank his colleagues in the State Legislature for their help in passing a statute that changed the town line between Bristol and Southington so as to put his farmhouse in Bristol. The reason for this request was so that he could vote in Bristol where he did all his trading and knew more people. Also, in the days of horses and buggies, old dirt roads, and tough winters, the three mile ride to Bristol was a lot easier than the six miles to Southington.
For newly-invited members, you must come and learn all of the traditions, meet new and old friends, relish the unique menu, and shake hands with all the important politicians, including this year’s political candidates from all parties. Never will you see and meet so many candidates from all sides in one place in such intimate surroundings, all having a good time kidding each other, with no serious politics allowed. That policy was dictated to the original group by host, Gad Norton himself, who said, “there will be no serious politics allowed, no post-mortems from the last legislative session, -- just pleasant sociability, good fun, and good food.”
Invitations have gone out and a large crowd is expected. Guests will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis. A check made payable to Crocodile Club for fifty dollars each must be received for each participant by August 15, 2010. Mail to the Crocodile Club, c/o Carousel Museum, 95 Riverside Ave, Bristol, CT 06010.
Upon receipt of your check, your name will be entered into the guest database and your ticket(s) can be picked up at “will call” at the front gate. There are four ticket booths where volunteers will be serving you alphabetically. Transportation will be provided from the Lake Compounce parking lot to the main gate. You must have your ticket with you in order to get into the ballroom and get fed.
For tickets contact the New England Carousel Museum, 95 Riverside Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010. 860 585-5411. www.thecarouselmuseum.org
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 5, 2009
Lake Compounce manager likes idea of naming road for Norton
The city may seek to rename the access road that runs between its 229 Technology Park and the parking lots for Lake Compounce.
The one mile long road could be named something like the J. Harwood "Stretch" Norton Boulevard, Mayor Art Ward said Tuesday.
Ward said he would see if Lake Compounce, which leases the road, had any concerns about the proposal.
The manager at Lake Compounce, Jerry Brick, said he likes the idea.
“It would be a nice tribute to him and a nice way for his family to remember that he is connected to the park,” Brick said.
“I’ve been nothing but a fan of his since I’ve been here,” he added.
Norton, a former mayor who died April 3, managed the nation’s oldest amusement park until his family sold it in 1985. His family had owned at least part of the park since it began in 1846.
The city is also eyeing the possibility of renaming the road that runs alongside the park, but most of it is in Southington, where it is called Mt. Vernon Road. It becomes Lake Avenue when it reaches the Bristol line.
Changing the name of the four-lane access road would be easier, because the city owns it and nobody lives along it.
Former Mayor William Stortz suggested this week that steps be taken to honor Norton. He suggested renaming a road near the park that Norton loved.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 4, 2009
Honoring Stretch Norton
A section of beside
Norton, whose family owned the amusement park for generations, grew up at
Former Mayor William Stortz proposed the idea Sunday in an email to Mayor Art Ward, who immediately offered to back the proposal.
Stortz said that Norton deserves to be memorialized for his long service to the city, state and nation.
“He certainly deserves the consideration and support of the city of
Stortz said the section of Mt. Vernon Road/
Ward asked
He told Stortz in a return email that he would gladly support the idea of renaming the road.
It isn’t clear what it would take to rename the road.
Stortz said there may be “certain guidelines” to follow, but he would like to see the city act swiftly.
Norton died April 3 at the age of 86. He served one term as mayor and six terms as a city councilor.Update on Tuesday morning:
Mayor Ward today suggested that perhaps Bristol could ask Lake Compounce to work with the city to rename the access road to the park "the J. Harwood "Stretch" Norton Access Way/Boulevard etc."
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
April 8, 2009
Norton put heart and soul into Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce, the nation’s oldest amusement park, might not have survived without its former manager, J. Harwood “Stretch” Norton, pulling for it.
In its darkest days in the early 1990s, he rallied the community to keep the park open, if only for a long weekend.
Carolyn Norton said when they were courting, Stretch took her to the park – owned by his family for generations – the first time she came East to visit him from her native Ohio.
“He was truly interested in Bristol, but mostly he was in love with Lake Compounce,” she said.
Norton, a former mayor and famously long-winded talker, could spin tales about his beloved Lake Compounce for hours, telling stories about everything from finding a drowned teenager in the murky water to crawling through the beams of the ballroom to install a secret reel-to-reel tape machine to preserve the Big Band sounds he adored.
“He told me that he had recorded a lot of the bands,” said former Mayor Frank Nicastro.
One of the toughest moments of Norton’s life came in 1985 when he helped sell the park, which had been in the family for four generations. The land itself had been owned by the Norton family for three centuries.
So many family members had a stake in the park, including “a lot of widows” who worried about their finances, that it proved impossible to get a consensus to do anything other than sell, Norton said.
Jerry Brick, currently the general manager at Lake Compounce, said he enjoyed spending time with Norton and swapping stories about amusement park management.
“I thought the world of him,” said Brick. “He was a nice guy.”
Brick said Norton leaves a solid legacy at Lake Compounce, the nation’s oldest amusement park.
“They go hand in hand,” said Brick, “the park’s name, Stretch’s name.”
One tradition that didn’t survive was the annual Crocodile Club dinner that the Norton family had thrown for state politicians each summer for 128 years.
Its menu – roasted lamb, fried corn, sliced tomatoes, watermelon, a beer and a cigar – never changed. Neither did the corny jokes, or Norton’s single-minded determination to pulling off the party every year.
The club held its last dinner in 2002. The next summer, Norton announced he could no longer keep up the work that inviting 2,200 people required.
“We had such great fun at the Crocodile Club dinners,” Gov. Jodi Rell said, adding that she “will miss Stretch's smile and sense of humor.”
“It was a great thing,” said Nicastro.
Former Mayor Mike Werner, a longtime friend, said he’ll always remember the Crocodile Club and Norton’s “terrible jokes when he emceed it.”
Norton’s love of Lake Compounce and of Big Band music “was second to none,” said Nicastro.
Under Norton’s watch, musicians Cab Calloway, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra, pulled crowds as large as 4,000 people to the park for performances, said Nicastro.
“He met ‘em all,” said Nicastro. “These are the greats. These are the giants. They were all there. There isn’t a band that didn’t make Lake Compounce.”
Nicastro said he shared Norton’s love of Big Band music.
“We got along famously because of that,” said Nicastro.
Nicastro has Norton to thank for exposing him to a lot of Big Band greats at an early age.
When he was about 11 years old, Nicastro said, Norton would allow him to sneak into the ballroom on the side of the stage and see the musicians up close.
“He’d say to me, ‘Ya like that, doncha, kid?’” Nicastro recalled. “He let me stand there and listen. I would get goose bumps.”
Norton knew what that chance meant to Nicastro, then a beginning trumpet player.
“I truly loved him for that,” said Nicastro. He said Norton even introduced him to Kenton and Ferguson.
Nicastro later not only played his horn professionally, but built an extensive music collection. Sometimes, he said, he’d find an old recording Norton would like and give him a copy.
“He’d go crazy,” said Nicastro.
Today, Nicastro will repay his friend for those old favors by playing “Taps” at Norton’s military graveside rites.
Funeral details
The funeral service for Norton, who died Friday, will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. Joseph Church. A private burial will be held at the Lake Avenue Cemetery where generations of Nortons have been laid to rest.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
April 6, 2009
Rell: 'Connecticut really has lost a legend'
Looking back on the opportunity to grow up at Lake Compounce, the historic amusement park owned in part by his family, J. Harwood “Stretch” Norton called himself “one lucky kid.”
He paused, smiled, and added that the rest of his life had been pretty lucky, too.
Norton, a former mayor who later became the manager of the park where he played as a child, died Friday at the age of 86 after years of frail health. His funeral is Wednesday morning.
"Everybody knew Stretch, and Stretch knew everybody. He never forgot a name," Gov. Jodi Rell said. "Stretch loved life, he loved people, and he most certainly loved Bristol. Connecticut really has lost a legend."
Norton spent a single term as mayor starting in 1969, but he also put in six terms as a city councilor, graduated from Yale University, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, worked as an engineer for the Wallace Barnes Co., palled around with famous musicians and packed his life with family, friends and service to his community.
"It's a great, great loss to the city," said former Mayor Frank Nicastro. "He will always be remembered as someone who loved his city and as Mr. Lake Compounce."
Norton spent countless hours as a child at the park, where he learned how everything worked and knew most everyone who came by. At the height of the Depression, he once told a reporter, he had to loan his father the $7 he'd collected so the family could eat during a period when the banks closed.
Serving on a small seaplane tender in the U.S. Navy after his 1944 graduation from Yale, Norton saw an astounding array of ships off Okinawa, where troops stormed ashore in 1945 to begin the invasion of Japan itself.
He said he watched as kamikaze pilots rammed their planes into nearby ships, causing massive explosions and far too much death.
After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Norton said the terrorists’ assault with captured passenger planes brought back memories of the horror he witnessed as a young man in the Pacific War. For a long while after the attack, Norton convinced some area churches to toll their bells monthly to mark the awful moment and ensure it would never be forgotten.
Returning from the war, Norton worked at the park but also got a job as an engineer for the Wallace Barnes Steel division of Associated Spring, where he ultimately became the top plant engineer before stepping down two decades later.
But he's remembered by many during the 1940s and 1950s as the ticket taker for scores of Big Band concerts at the Casino building at Lake Compounce, where he got to know legends such as Tommy Dorsey, Maynard Ferguson and Frank Sinatra.
Despite all that time at the ballroom, wife Carolyn Norton said Monday, her husband "never learned how to dance." She said she discovered he had "two left feet" on an early date to a square dance near her home in Ohio.
"Turns out he only liked ballrooms when he could collect tickets," she said.
She said he was a natural prankster, giving friends golf clubs that bent like a spring and even stringing his bride-to-be in Ohio along for nearly a full day that he'd left her engagement ring behind in Connecticut. He said she could wear his clunky Yale ring instead.
He also played a lot of sports, loved to bowl and enjoyed eating out.
Carolyn Norton said her husband "was honest. He was considerate of people. He respected other people. He listened to what they had to say."
Norton's government service began when he ran as an independent and captured a council seat in 1959. He lost it two years later after supporting a policy change that required residents to bring their trash to the curb instead of having city crews find the cans themselves.
But Norton bounced back to recapture the seat two years later, holding it for a single term.
"He's one politician who always told you what he was thinking and didn't go back on his word," former Mayor Mike Werner said. That cost him the election, Werner said.
"He did what he thought was the right thing to do regardless of public opinion."
Norton guided the town through its worst economic period since the Great Depression, struggling to bolster an economy in which one in four Bristol workers were unemployed. During his stint as mayor, Norton played a pivotal role in securing the funding to construct Route 229 and later said he set the stage for ESPN to locate in Bristol through his work on industrial redevelopment in the area.
"If it weren’t for that succeeding, I don’t think ESPN would be in Bristol today," Norton said years later.
Norton was so chronically late to everything that his friends used to call him "the late Mayor Norton," said Werner. His punctual impairment -- combined with his penchant for the personal touch -- once had Norton writing out fund-raising letters on Election Night, Werner said.
From 1989 until 1997, he served as a city councilor, and followed that with a seven-year stint as a public works commissioner. He had been the first chairman of the Public Works Board back in 1960.
When he lost the council seat in 1997, Nicastro immediately appointed Norton to the the Public Works Board once again, despite their different political affiliations.
"When he disagreed, he did it as a gentleman. There were no hard feelings. He believed in what he was doing," Nicastro said.
On the public works panel, Norton said he could focus on the day-to-day necessities of keeping the city's streets, drains and walkways in good shape -- which was always what he liked best anyway.
"No politics, just government," as Norton put it. "It’s my favorite place to work in the city.”
Norton is survived by his wife, Carolyn, four children and five grandchildren.
Calling hours are from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Funk Funeral Home. A funeral service is slated for 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Church, with a private burial with military honors to follow in the Lake Avenue cemetery, where generations of Nortons are laid to rest.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
April 3, 2009
Former Mayor Stretch Norton left a legacy
One of the city’s giants died Friday.
J. Harwood “Stretch” Norton -- a former owner of Lake Compounce, ex-mayor and a World War II veteran who saw kamikazes plunging into ships off Okinawa – brought a generous spirit and genuine love for his hometown to a lifetime of activity.
“He was one of the most gracious, considerate individuals that I’ve come in contact with,” Mayor Art Ward said. “Just a true gentleman.”
Norton, 86, has been ill in recent years, no longer able to get out much or to participate in the civic life he’d known since a childhood spent roaming his family’s amusement park.
As a politician, Norton proudly pointed to his integrity as his strong suit.
“I won’t wheel and deal,” he once told a reporter.
His bipartisan spirit – understandable in a man who didn’t become a Republican until 1968 – made him friends on both sides of the political aisle.
A decade ago, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal called Norton “one of the great Americans, one of the great Connecticut citizens.”
Ward called Norton “a mentor” and “the most bipartisan person I’ve ever worked with.”
The mayor said Norton was “dedicated to the city of Bristol” throughout a long career.
As a one-term mayor elected in 1969, Norton said he set the stage for ESPN to locate in Bristol through his work on the industrial redevelopment of Middle Street.
“If it weren’t for that succeeding, I don’t think ESPN would be in Bristol today,” Norton said a few years ago.
Norton also took credit during his administration for improving conditions at the Cambridge Park housing project and helping to launch the Barnes Nature Center.
Norton managed Lake Compounce in the 1970s until his family sold the park in 1985. But he always kept it close to his heart.
Norton served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he took part in the massive naval armada that descended on Okinawa as the Americans closed in on Japan.
A Yale graduate, Norton worked as engineer for the Wallace Barnes Co. before turning to politics and taking the helm at the nation’s oldest amusement park, founded by his great grandfather in 1846.
The Press plans a more complete story about Norton next week.
Norton is survived by his wife, Carrie, and four grown children.
Calling hours for Norton are from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Funk Funeral Home. A funeral service is slated for 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Church.
A private burial with military honors will be held later at Lake Avenue Cemetery, where generations of Nortons have been laid to rest.
If anyone would like to contribute memories of Norton for a story, please send them to me at scollins@bristolpress.com. Be sure to include your name and phone number.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 10, 2008
Hamzy aims to free up cash for Lake Compounce
Press release from state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th District includes northwestern Bristol:
State Representative William A. Hamzy is working with Governor Rell and the state Office of Policy and Management to get $3.3 million in state funding that would clear the way for the expansion of the water park at Lake Compounce placed on the State Bond Commission agenda for its September meeting.
The funding, which was included in the bond authorization act (P. A. 07-7) approved by the state legislature during the June 2007 special session, amounts to $3.3 million. The grant must be approved by the bond commission before it is released.
The $3.3 million would pay for the relocation of a 3,000 foot section of Mount Vernon Road from the Bristol city line to Welch Street in Southington. The project would clear the way for a six-acre expansion of the water park to more than 10 acres, said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District.
“This is a win-win proposal for the state, for Lake Compounce and for Bristol and Southington,” Representative Hamzy said. “If the bond commission approves the $3.3 million to pay for the relocation of a portion of Mount Vernon Road in Southington, for utility upgrades and other related improvements, it will lead to the investment of about $20 million by Lake Compounce for the expansion of the water park.”
“This relatively modest investment in a public infrastructure improvement project will significantly benefit the towns, the region and the state. When completed, the Lake Compounce expansion project will help Bristol and Southington by creating jobs and attracting more visitors to the amusement park - many of whom will patronize local businesses. It also will enhance the state’s rapidly-growing tourist industry, which is becoming a significant contributor to the state’s economy, generating millions in revenues and hundreds of new jobs every year,” Representative Hamzy said.
“Although getting an item included on the bond commission agenda is a difficult and competitive process, I believe state funding for this project is fully justified under whatever criteria are used to evaluate it. It is important to the economic future of our towns and our state. That is why I am aggressively pursuing the funding necessary to make it happen,” Representative Hamzy said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
State Representative William A. Hamzy is working with Governor Rell and the state Office of Policy and Management to get $3.3 million in state funding that would clear the way for the expansion of the water park at Lake Compounce placed on the State Bond Commission agenda for its September meeting.
The funding, which was included in the bond authorization act (P. A. 07-7) approved by the state legislature during the June 2007 special session, amounts to $3.3 million. The grant must be approved by the bond commission before it is released.
The $3.3 million would pay for the relocation of a 3,000 foot section of Mount Vernon Road from the Bristol city line to Welch Street in Southington. The project would clear the way for a six-acre expansion of the water park to more than 10 acres, said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District.
“This is a win-win proposal for the state, for Lake Compounce and for Bristol and Southington,” Representative Hamzy said. “If the bond commission approves the $3.3 million to pay for the relocation of a portion of Mount Vernon Road in Southington, for utility upgrades and other related improvements, it will lead to the investment of about $20 million by Lake Compounce for the expansion of the water park.”
“This relatively modest investment in a public infrastructure improvement project will significantly benefit the towns, the region and the state. When completed, the Lake Compounce expansion project will help Bristol and Southington by creating jobs and attracting more visitors to the amusement park - many of whom will patronize local businesses. It also will enhance the state’s rapidly-growing tourist industry, which is becoming a significant contributor to the state’s economy, generating millions in revenues and hundreds of new jobs every year,” Representative Hamzy said.
“Although getting an item included on the bond commission agenda is a difficult and competitive process, I believe state funding for this project is fully justified under whatever criteria are used to evaluate it. It is important to the economic future of our towns and our state. That is why I am aggressively pursuing the funding necessary to make it happen,” Representative Hamzy said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
December 12, 2007
Lake Compounce sold along with Kennywood
The Press website was down overnight so it never got updated. Here is what reporter Jackie Majerus wrote about the Lake Compounce sale for today's paper:
Lake Compounce, the nation's oldest amusement park, is changing hands again.
Parques Reunidos, the largest European-based amusement park company, is buying out Lake Compounce's parent company, Pittsburgh's Kennywood Entertainment Co.
The Madrid-based Parques Reunidos has vowed to "continue what we've already started," said Gerry Brick, general manager at Lake Compounce.
"They do like what we do. They're going to keep us going," said Brick. "Our goal is the same. It's still going to start with the guest service."
Lake Compounce , which was founded and run by the Norton family from 1846 until 1985, had a series of owners between the Nortons and Kennywood, which bought the mortgage notes in 1996.
After the Nortons sold the park to car dealer Stephen Barberino Sr. and other partners in 1985, the Barberino partnership sold controlling interest that year to the Pennsylvania-based Hershey company, which held it until 1988, when Milwaukee concert promoter Joseph Entertainment took it over. The promoter went bankrupt and bills went unpaid. Boston Concessions briefly ran the park and the Barberinos bought the mortgage.
Ownership lawsuits and tax problems plagued the park and in 1994, Funtime Parks of Ohio signed on before Funtime was bought up the next year by another firm. Court battles continued, Funtime managed Lake Compounce and the Barberinos, who owned the park completely, kept looking for a new partner until they found Kennywood.
The deal between Kennywood and Parques Reunidos includes Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Idlewild and SoakZone in Ligonier, Penn., Sandcastle Waterpark in Pittsburgh Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire and Lake Compounce.
The sale is expected to close in March and the parties have not disclosed the purchase price.
Brick said the European buyers like what they've seen at Lake Compounce, which is focusing on expanding its water attractions.
"They're excited," said Brick.
Now that the deal has been announced, Brick said he hopes construction can begin in the spring on the waterpark expansion.
Starting in the spring, said Brick, was his goal all along, but until the pending sale was announced, moving ahead on the expansion early next year was less than certain.
"I wasn't quite sure we were going to start it in the spring," said Brick, adding that he now feels confident that the expansion will move ahead.
The Madrid firm has more money than Kennywood, said Brick, and is excited about the plans for Lake Compounce and thinks the sale will be good for the park and the region because an expanded park will bring more people to the area. Buyout talks began in the fall, according to Brick.
"It started just after the season ended," said Brick.
The 48 full-time workers at Lake Compounce will stay on under the new ownership, said Brick.
"At all the parks, they're keeping the management team in place," said Brick.
He said the park had 1,300 season workers last summer.
"This is a good team. We want to keep the whole team intact," said Brick.
In a prepared release from Kennywood, company Chairman Harry Henninger said the "Kennywood experience" would continue and "nothing will seem different," even to park workers.
"In recent years, we've had talks with other operators wishing to acquire us, but Parques Reunidos is the first one to share our vision and philosophy," Henninger said.
In the same release, Richard Golding, chief executive officer of Parques Reunidos, said the Madrid company has "tremendous respect for the work of the Kennywood management team and are delighted to acquire such a quality organization."
Golding added, "They've built Kennywood Entertainment into an industry leader in family entertainment. We are anxious to continue the gold standard of entertainment they have established."
Parques Reunidos manages 61 amusement, animal and water parks in the U.S. and Europe, with total annual visitors exceeding 22 million and revenues exceeding $570 million, according to information released by Kennywood. With the "financial backing of the Candover investment fund, a private equity investor in London," the Madrid firm "approached Kennywood with a purchase offer as part of their plan to consolidate family entertainment venues around the globe," the information from Kennywood said.
Brick said he favors "slow growth." He said growing too fast isn't the best for customers because unexpected problems crop up, like not enough parking or not enough bathrooms.
"If you grow slow, you can take care of those while you're growing," said Brick. "I've pushed that our commitment to slow growth is the best route."
Lake Compounce drew nearly 700,000 visitors last season, said Brick. He said more than 30,000 people bought a season pass, with the average pass holder visiting the park three times over the summer.
Foreign firms buying up nation's oldest parks
The planned sale of Kennywood Entertainment Co. to Madrid-based Parques Reunidos next spring will put two of America's three oldest historic parks into foreign control.
Besides Lake Compounce, Pittsburgh-based Kennywood owns historic Idlewild Park in Ligonier, Penn. – the nation's third oldest park – and historic Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, which ranks 17 th oldest nationally, according to the National Amusement Park Historical Association.
Kennywood also owns the 55-year-old Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire as well SoakZone, a waterpark companion to Idlewild in Ligonier, and Sandcastle Waterpark in Pittsburgh.
"I've got concerns about it being owned by a foreign entity," said state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat who serves on the city council and is a former mayor. "I know nothing of this corporation."
Nicastro said he was sorry to hear that Kennywood, the Pittsburgh-based amusement park firm that owns Lake Compounce, was being sold to the Madrid-based Parques Reunidos.
But Nicastro said he wasn't going to make a snap judgment. Many companies are owned by overseas interests, he said.
"We have to see what happens," said Nicastro. "I'm not going to jump to conclusions."
A $3.5 million state grant to pay for moving Mount Vernon Road to make way for a Lake Compounce waterpark expansion isn't yet approved, Nicastro said, but is on track.
"It's part of the bonding package," said Nicastro, who supported the grant when Kennywood sought the help.Nicastro said having the state spend money to move the road was a worthy investment when Kennywood promised a $15 million waterpark expansion. Now that the company is changing hands, Nicastro said, he wants to make sure the expansion is still in the works before the state makes final approval on the money.
"We need to know for sure," said Nicastro. "It was an agreement."
Parques Reunidos already owns Palace Entertainment Holding Inc., an American operator of water parks and family entertainment centers.
Hard to keep an old park in the family
When an amusement park is family-owned, it can be hard to resist a tempting buyout offer, according to Stretch Norton, whose family owned and operated Lake Compounce for more than a century.
Norton said he understands how it might have been tough for the Henninger or McSwigan family members, who own the privately held Kennywood Entertainment Co. to resist a buyout offer from Madrid-based Parques Reunidos, "You can't get a consensus of what to do," said Norton, when multiple family members are involved in making a decision.
Norton family members lived in California, Florida and New York in addition to Connecticut. "With our case, it was a lot of widows and they were concerned about finances," said Norton.Still, Norton said, "We lasted four generations at least."
Gerry Brick, general manager of Lake Compounce, said the sale originated with Parques Reunidos.
"They actually sought Kennywood out," Brick said, "Kennywood wasn't really in the market to be sold."
But Brick said the members of the Henninger and McSwigan families who own the privately-held Kennywood Entertainment Co. are largely removed from the park operations.
"Very few of the family members are involved with the park anymore," said Brick.
According to information released by Kennywood on Tuesday, the company has been a "closely held family business since F.W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan purchased Kennywood Park from the Monongahela Railway Company in 1906."
The Henninger and McSwigan families, now in fourth and fifth generation, have remained owners for over 100 years, the company said.
"This has been a very difficult decision for members of the founding families, now numbering over 100 and residing all over the country," said Kennywood Chairman Harry Henninger in a prepared statement released Tuesday.
Henninger called the family's experience of managing Kennywood, expanding Idlewild and Lake Compounce and creating Sandcastle "a magical ride."
Norton's ancestor Gad Norton, a former state lawmaker, first opened Lake Compounce on the Bristol and Southington town line in 1846, making it the oldest amusement park in America.
The Norton family, sometimes alone and sometimes in partnership with another family, owned and operated Lake Compounce until they finally sold it in 1985 to the Barberino family, a local family with a car dealership empire.
After it was acquired by the Barberinos, the park went through a series of owners, many from out of state and some better than others. For a time, it was primarily a venue for rock concerts.
Many of the owners shirked their property tax obligations and some failed to make mortgage payments. Norton described it as "a lumpy few years."
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat who was mayor when Kennywood bought into Lake Compounce in 1996, said he had a "fantastic working relationship with Harry Henninger," who was then president of Kennywood.
Early in his tenure as mayor, Nicastro said, he was forced with the choice of either foreclosing on the nation's oldest amusement park or figuring out how to collect more than $1 million in back taxes on the shuttered park. "That was a heck of a thing hanging over a new mayor," said Nicastro.
Nicastro said he collected some payments from a previous owner, but negotiated with Henninger to settle the bill. Henninger was as good as his word, Nicastro said, and a check arrived as promised.
"From that point on, there was never a problem," said Nicastro. "Their taxes were always paid on time. Ever since then, they've been a great corporate citizen. I can only hope that it continues that way."
Norton was happy, too, when Kennywood entered the Lake Compounce picture.
"They were park people," said Norton. He said the first thing Kennywood did was rip out the amphitheater, which had caused a lot of problems with neighbors. "That was just ruining the park," said Norton.
When he learned Tuesday that his beloved Lake Compounce was sold yet again, Norton said, "I'm surprised and I'm not surprised. I could see it happening."
Norton said all of the Kennywood owners might not be as dedicated to the amusement industry to the same degree.
"I just don't think their heart is really in it, has been in it, for awhile anyway," Norton said. The boom years of the amusement park business are in the past, according to Norton.
He said waterparks are cheaper to build, insure and operate than rollercoasters and other thrill rides.
The liability insurance to cover the thrill rides, Norton said, is "tough to handle."
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Lake Compounce, the nation's oldest amusement park, is changing hands again.
Parques Reunidos, the largest European-based amusement park company, is buying out Lake Compounce's parent company, Pittsburgh's Kennywood Entertainment Co.
The Madrid-based Parques Reunidos has vowed to "continue what we've already started," said Gerry Brick, general manager at Lake Compounce.
"They do like what we do. They're going to keep us going," said Brick. "Our goal is the same. It's still going to start with the guest service."
Lake Compounce , which was founded and run by the Norton family from 1846 until 1985, had a series of owners between the Nortons and Kennywood, which bought the mortgage notes in 1996.
After the Nortons sold the park to car dealer Stephen Barberino Sr. and other partners in 1985, the Barberino partnership sold controlling interest that year to the Pennsylvania-based Hershey company, which held it until 1988, when Milwaukee concert promoter Joseph Entertainment took it over. The promoter went bankrupt and bills went unpaid. Boston Concessions briefly ran the park and the Barberinos bought the mortgage.
Ownership lawsuits and tax problems plagued the park and in 1994, Funtime Parks of Ohio signed on before Funtime was bought up the next year by another firm. Court battles continued, Funtime managed Lake Compounce and the Barberinos, who owned the park completely, kept looking for a new partner until they found Kennywood.
The deal between Kennywood and Parques Reunidos includes Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Idlewild and SoakZone in Ligonier, Penn., Sandcastle Waterpark in Pittsburgh Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire and Lake Compounce.
The sale is expected to close in March and the parties have not disclosed the purchase price.
Brick said the European buyers like what they've seen at Lake Compounce, which is focusing on expanding its water attractions.
"They're excited," said Brick.
Now that the deal has been announced, Brick said he hopes construction can begin in the spring on the waterpark expansion.
Starting in the spring, said Brick, was his goal all along, but until the pending sale was announced, moving ahead on the expansion early next year was less than certain.
"I wasn't quite sure we were going to start it in the spring," said Brick, adding that he now feels confident that the expansion will move ahead.
The Madrid firm has more money than Kennywood, said Brick, and is excited about the plans for Lake Compounce and thinks the sale will be good for the park and the region because an expanded park will bring more people to the area. Buyout talks began in the fall, according to Brick.
"It started just after the season ended," said Brick.
The 48 full-time workers at Lake Compounce will stay on under the new ownership, said Brick.
"At all the parks, they're keeping the management team in place," said Brick.
He said the park had 1,300 season workers last summer.
"This is a good team. We want to keep the whole team intact," said Brick.
In a prepared release from Kennywood, company Chairman Harry Henninger said the "Kennywood experience" would continue and "nothing will seem different," even to park workers.
"In recent years, we've had talks with other operators wishing to acquire us, but Parques Reunidos is the first one to share our vision and philosophy," Henninger said.
In the same release, Richard Golding, chief executive officer of Parques Reunidos, said the Madrid company has "tremendous respect for the work of the Kennywood management team and are delighted to acquire such a quality organization."
Golding added, "They've built Kennywood Entertainment into an industry leader in family entertainment. We are anxious to continue the gold standard of entertainment they have established."
Parques Reunidos manages 61 amusement, animal and water parks in the U.S. and Europe, with total annual visitors exceeding 22 million and revenues exceeding $570 million, according to information released by Kennywood. With the "financial backing of the Candover investment fund, a private equity investor in London," the Madrid firm "approached Kennywood with a purchase offer as part of their plan to consolidate family entertainment venues around the globe," the information from Kennywood said.
Brick said he favors "slow growth." He said growing too fast isn't the best for customers because unexpected problems crop up, like not enough parking or not enough bathrooms.
"If you grow slow, you can take care of those while you're growing," said Brick. "I've pushed that our commitment to slow growth is the best route."
Lake Compounce drew nearly 700,000 visitors last season, said Brick. He said more than 30,000 people bought a season pass, with the average pass holder visiting the park three times over the summer.
Foreign firms buying up nation's oldest parks
The planned sale of Kennywood Entertainment Co. to Madrid-based Parques Reunidos next spring will put two of America's three oldest historic parks into foreign control.
Besides Lake Compounce, Pittsburgh-based Kennywood owns historic Idlewild Park in Ligonier, Penn. – the nation's third oldest park – and historic Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, which ranks 17 th oldest nationally, according to the National Amusement Park Historical Association.
Kennywood also owns the 55-year-old Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire as well SoakZone, a waterpark companion to Idlewild in Ligonier, and Sandcastle Waterpark in Pittsburgh.
"I've got concerns about it being owned by a foreign entity," said state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat who serves on the city council and is a former mayor. "I know nothing of this corporation."
Nicastro said he was sorry to hear that Kennywood, the Pittsburgh-based amusement park firm that owns Lake Compounce, was being sold to the Madrid-based Parques Reunidos.
But Nicastro said he wasn't going to make a snap judgment. Many companies are owned by overseas interests, he said.
"We have to see what happens," said Nicastro. "I'm not going to jump to conclusions."
A $3.5 million state grant to pay for moving Mount Vernon Road to make way for a Lake Compounce waterpark expansion isn't yet approved, Nicastro said, but is on track.
"It's part of the bonding package," said Nicastro, who supported the grant when Kennywood sought the help.Nicastro said having the state spend money to move the road was a worthy investment when Kennywood promised a $15 million waterpark expansion. Now that the company is changing hands, Nicastro said, he wants to make sure the expansion is still in the works before the state makes final approval on the money.
"We need to know for sure," said Nicastro. "It was an agreement."
Parques Reunidos already owns Palace Entertainment Holding Inc., an American operator of water parks and family entertainment centers.
Hard to keep an old park in the family
When an amusement park is family-owned, it can be hard to resist a tempting buyout offer, according to Stretch Norton, whose family owned and operated Lake Compounce for more than a century.
Norton said he understands how it might have been tough for the Henninger or McSwigan family members, who own the privately held Kennywood Entertainment Co. to resist a buyout offer from Madrid-based Parques Reunidos, "You can't get a consensus of what to do," said Norton, when multiple family members are involved in making a decision.
Norton family members lived in California, Florida and New York in addition to Connecticut. "With our case, it was a lot of widows and they were concerned about finances," said Norton.Still, Norton said, "We lasted four generations at least."
Gerry Brick, general manager of Lake Compounce, said the sale originated with Parques Reunidos.
"They actually sought Kennywood out," Brick said, "Kennywood wasn't really in the market to be sold."
But Brick said the members of the Henninger and McSwigan families who own the privately-held Kennywood Entertainment Co. are largely removed from the park operations.
"Very few of the family members are involved with the park anymore," said Brick.
According to information released by Kennywood on Tuesday, the company has been a "closely held family business since F.W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan purchased Kennywood Park from the Monongahela Railway Company in 1906."
The Henninger and McSwigan families, now in fourth and fifth generation, have remained owners for over 100 years, the company said.
"This has been a very difficult decision for members of the founding families, now numbering over 100 and residing all over the country," said Kennywood Chairman Harry Henninger in a prepared statement released Tuesday.
Henninger called the family's experience of managing Kennywood, expanding Idlewild and Lake Compounce and creating Sandcastle "a magical ride."
Norton's ancestor Gad Norton, a former state lawmaker, first opened Lake Compounce on the Bristol and Southington town line in 1846, making it the oldest amusement park in America.
The Norton family, sometimes alone and sometimes in partnership with another family, owned and operated Lake Compounce until they finally sold it in 1985 to the Barberino family, a local family with a car dealership empire.
After it was acquired by the Barberinos, the park went through a series of owners, many from out of state and some better than others. For a time, it was primarily a venue for rock concerts.
Many of the owners shirked their property tax obligations and some failed to make mortgage payments. Norton described it as "a lumpy few years."
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat who was mayor when Kennywood bought into Lake Compounce in 1996, said he had a "fantastic working relationship with Harry Henninger," who was then president of Kennywood.
Early in his tenure as mayor, Nicastro said, he was forced with the choice of either foreclosing on the nation's oldest amusement park or figuring out how to collect more than $1 million in back taxes on the shuttered park. "That was a heck of a thing hanging over a new mayor," said Nicastro.
Nicastro said he collected some payments from a previous owner, but negotiated with Henninger to settle the bill. Henninger was as good as his word, Nicastro said, and a check arrived as promised.
"From that point on, there was never a problem," said Nicastro. "Their taxes were always paid on time. Ever since then, they've been a great corporate citizen. I can only hope that it continues that way."
Norton was happy, too, when Kennywood entered the Lake Compounce picture.
"They were park people," said Norton. He said the first thing Kennywood did was rip out the amphitheater, which had caused a lot of problems with neighbors. "That was just ruining the park," said Norton.
When he learned Tuesday that his beloved Lake Compounce was sold yet again, Norton said, "I'm surprised and I'm not surprised. I could see it happening."
Norton said all of the Kennywood owners might not be as dedicated to the amusement industry to the same degree.
"I just don't think their heart is really in it, has been in it, for awhile anyway," Norton said. The boom years of the amusement park business are in the past, according to Norton.
He said waterparks are cheaper to build, insure and operate than rollercoasters and other thrill rides.
The liability insurance to cover the thrill rides, Norton said, is "tough to handle."
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
December 11, 2007
Spanish firm buys Lake Compounce
Harry Henninger, chairman of Kennywood Entertainment. Photo provided. From the Associated Press:
A family-owned amusement park company based in Pittsburgh says it will be acquired by a Spanish firm.
Kennywood Entertainment says it has entered into an agreement to sell its amusement park holdings to Madrid-based Parques Reunidos.
Lake Compounce is one of the company's parks.
Parques Reunidos says in its most recent press release, about the acquisition this fall of Palace Entertainment in the US, calls itself "the second largest European operator of the leisure sector who runs 28 separate parks across 8 countries."
Here's what it clams as its holdings now:
5 Amusement Parks (Spain, Belgium, Italy and Denmark)
11 Zoo and Nature facilities (Spain, France, United Kingdom, Argentina and USA)
20 Water facilities (Spain, France, Norway, italy and USA)
22 Family entertainment centres (USA)
2 Cable cars (Spain)
The company already owns one water park in New England, "Water Country" in New Hampshire
Here's Kennywood's press release on the deal, issued a couple of hours ago:
New Chapter in Kennywood Entertainment History Announced
PITTSBURGH, December 11, 2007 – Kennywood Entertainment of Pittsburgh announced
today that it has entered into an agreement to sell its amusement park holdings, including
Kennywood in West Mifflin, PA, Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, PA, Sandcastle
Waterpark in West Homestead, PA and New England parks Lake Compounce Theme Park in
Bristol, CT and Story Land in Glen, New Hampshire.
Kennywood Entertainment has been a closely held family business since F.W. Henninger and
Andrew McSwigan purchased Kennywood Park from the Monongahela Railway Company in
1906. The Henninger and McSwigan families, now in fourth and fifth generation, have
remained owners for over 100 years.
Acquiring Kennywood Entertainment is Parques Reunidos, based in Madrid, Spain, an
international operator that manages 61 amusement, animal and water parks in the U.S. and
Europe, with total annual visitors exceeding 22 million and revenues exceeding $570 million.
Parques Reunidos, with the financial backing of the Candover investment fund, a private
equity investor in London, approached Kennywood with a purchase offer as part of their plan
to consolidate family entertainment venues around the globe.
“The Kennywood experience—as visitors have come to love and expect—will continue.
Nothing will seem different, even to the folks working at the parks. Existing management and
staff will remain in place,” said Harry Henninger, Chairman of Kennywood Entertainment.
“In recent years, we've had talks with other operators wishing to acquire us, but Parques
Reunidos is the first one to share our vision and philosophy.”
"We have tremendous respect for the work of the Kennywood management team and are
delighted to acquire such a quality organization,” said Richard Golding, Chief Executive
Officer of Parques Reunidos. “They've built Kennywood Entertainment into an industry
leader in family entertainment. We are anxious to continue the gold standard of entertainment
they have established."
“Richard Golding recognizes and appreciates the deep affection that all of the Kennywood
properties enjoy with their communities,” said Peter J. McAneny, Kennywood Entertainment
President. “They intend to preserve these connections and build upon the history and tradition
existing at each of the parks."
Henninger added, "This has been a very difficult decision for members of the founding
families, now numbering over one hundred and residing all over the country. All of us are
tremendously proud of what we created with Kennywood Entertainment. It has truly been a
magical ride, managing Kennywood, starting Sandcastle, expanding and improving both
Idlewild and Lake Compounce.”
A March completion date is anticipated. The agreement is subject to satisfactory completion
of due diligence inquiries by the parties. The purchase price is not being disclosed.
# # #
About Kennywood Entertainment
Kennywood Entertainment, western Pennsylvania’s largest provider of summer fun, owns and operates the National Historic Landmark, Kennywood, highly regarded as America's finest traditional amusement park; Idlewild & SoakZone, named by Amusement Today as the second best children’s park in the world, and Sandcastle Waterpark and Riverplex (an old-fashioned picnic park) both located on former steel mill property along the Monongahela River; America’s oldest theme park, Lake Compounce, in Bristol, CT and a young child’s very own theme park, Story Land in Glen, NH.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
October 31, 2007
Lake Compounce, BCO among bond package winners
Press release from the state House Republicans:
A fiscally responsible bond package approved by the Connecticut General Assembly Tuesday will help pay for important Bristol projects and provide funding for school construction and transportation infrastructure projects statewide without increasing the burden on taxpayers or threatening the state’s bond rating, state Representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns said today.
The $2.82 billion package approved Tuesday was significantly less expensive than the $3.2 billion measure that passed on party line votes in September, with the majority Democrats voting to approve the bill. House Republicans opposed that Democrat measure but voted for a leaner alternative Republican bond package, which failed on another party-line vote.
Governor Rell vetoed the earlier Democrat bonding bill, citing excessive spending on pork barrel projects that could have jeopardized the state’s bond rating and unduly burdened taxpayers. She has indicated she will sign the measure that passed Tuesday.
“The bonding package approved by the majority Democrats a few weeks ago called for excessive spending on pork barrel projects that did not serve the overall interests of the people of Connecticut, would have increased the burden on taxpayers who already bear the nation’s third-highest per capita state debt, and threatened our currently favorable bond rating,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District, who serves on the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.
“Interestingly enough, the measure we approved today is almost a mirror image of the alternative bond package we offered in September. Weeks of uncertainty over the future of school building projects around the state could have been avoided if Democrat legislators had crossed party lines and voted to approve our proposal,” Representative Burns said.
“Governor Rell did the right thing by vetoing the majority Democrats’ original bonding proposal while Republican legislators showed it was possible to put together a responsible measure that provided funding for repairs and improvements to our highways and bridges and for school construction projects throughout the state without increasing the tax burden on working families,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District, who had a prior commitment in Washington, D.C., and was unable to be in Hartford for Tuesday’s vote. “I’m proud of the work I did to help draft our alternative bond package, which in many ways was the model for the measure that passed today. Unfortunately, I had to be in our nation’s capitol for an engagement that could not be postponed or I would have been on the state House floor and would have voted for the bond package that passed today.”
Grants authorized for Bristol projects in the bill that passed Tuesday include:
• $3,500,000 for road relocation, utility upgrades, new service facilities and other improvements related to the expansion of Lake Compounce Water Park.
• $373,170 for the Bristol Community Organization, Inc., to purchase a building for the expansion of the Head Start program.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
A fiscally responsible bond package approved by the Connecticut General Assembly Tuesday will help pay for important Bristol projects and provide funding for school construction and transportation infrastructure projects statewide without increasing the burden on taxpayers or threatening the state’s bond rating, state Representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns said today.
The $2.82 billion package approved Tuesday was significantly less expensive than the $3.2 billion measure that passed on party line votes in September, with the majority Democrats voting to approve the bill. House Republicans opposed that Democrat measure but voted for a leaner alternative Republican bond package, which failed on another party-line vote.
Governor Rell vetoed the earlier Democrat bonding bill, citing excessive spending on pork barrel projects that could have jeopardized the state’s bond rating and unduly burdened taxpayers. She has indicated she will sign the measure that passed Tuesday.
“The bonding package approved by the majority Democrats a few weeks ago called for excessive spending on pork barrel projects that did not serve the overall interests of the people of Connecticut, would have increased the burden on taxpayers who already bear the nation’s third-highest per capita state debt, and threatened our currently favorable bond rating,” said Representative Burns, R-77th District, who serves on the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.
“Interestingly enough, the measure we approved today is almost a mirror image of the alternative bond package we offered in September. Weeks of uncertainty over the future of school building projects around the state could have been avoided if Democrat legislators had crossed party lines and voted to approve our proposal,” Representative Burns said.
“Governor Rell did the right thing by vetoing the majority Democrats’ original bonding proposal while Republican legislators showed it was possible to put together a responsible measure that provided funding for repairs and improvements to our highways and bridges and for school construction projects throughout the state without increasing the tax burden on working families,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78th District, who had a prior commitment in Washington, D.C., and was unable to be in Hartford for Tuesday’s vote. “I’m proud of the work I did to help draft our alternative bond package, which in many ways was the model for the measure that passed today. Unfortunately, I had to be in our nation’s capitol for an engagement that could not be postponed or I would have been on the state House floor and would have voted for the bond package that passed today.”
Grants authorized for Bristol projects in the bill that passed Tuesday include:
• $3,500,000 for road relocation, utility upgrades, new service facilities and other improvements related to the expansion of Lake Compounce Water Park.
• $373,170 for the Bristol Community Organization, Inc., to purchase a building for the expansion of the Head Start program.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 21, 2007
Bond money for Bristol
Press release from Sen. Tom Colapietro this morning:
SEN. COLAPIETRO APPLAUDS BOND AUTHORIZATIONS FOR BRISTOL COMMUNITY
Hartford - In a 21-to-12 vote at the Capitol last evening, the Senate approved a bond authorization package for the State of Connecticut including school construction funds, bridge repairs and transportation improvements, restoration of the Clean Water Fund, and funding for several capital improvement projects in the 31st District.
“This is a good balanced package for the state that recognizes some of Bristol’s needs while funding bridge repairs and school construction projects,” said Senator Colapietro.
The package, which authorizes the state’s bonding for the next two fiscal years, includes:
· A $200,000 grant for the Indian Rock Nature Preserve in Bristol,
· A $425,000 grant-in-aid to the Bristol Community Organization, Inc. to purchase a building for expansion of its Head Start program, and
· $19,118,861 for alterations and improvements to the buildings and grounds at Tunxis Community College.
“These are organizations and projects that provide great social and cultural service to our communities,” Senator Colapietro said.
Additionally, Senator Colapietro noted that $3,500,000 was authorized for road relocation, utility upgrades, new service facilities, and other improvements related to expanding the Lake Compounce Water Park in Southington.
“Although Lake Compounce isn’t wholly in my district,” Senator Colapietro added, “I pushed for the funding in for the park. I know that many of my constituents enjoy Lake Compounce, and I’m pleased that these funds are in the bond package.”
The package was later approved by the state House of Representatives in an 84-to-38 vote.
The total $3.15 billion package for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 must still be signed into law by Gov. M. Jodi Rell; individual bonding projects must then be placed by the governor on the State Bond Commission agenda for its consideration and approval before any work is undertaken.
“I urge the governor to sign this package for the benefit of the State of Connecticut and to put these items for Bristol and Plymouth on the Bond Commission agenda,” Senator Colapietro said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
SEN. COLAPIETRO APPLAUDS BOND AUTHORIZATIONS FOR BRISTOL COMMUNITY
Hartford - In a 21-to-12 vote at the Capitol last evening, the Senate approved a bond authorization package for the State of Connecticut including school construction funds, bridge repairs and transportation improvements, restoration of the Clean Water Fund, and funding for several capital improvement projects in the 31st District.
“This is a good balanced package for the state that recognizes some of Bristol’s needs while funding bridge repairs and school construction projects,” said Senator Colapietro.
The package, which authorizes the state’s bonding for the next two fiscal years, includes:
· A $200,000 grant for the Indian Rock Nature Preserve in Bristol,
· A $425,000 grant-in-aid to the Bristol Community Organization, Inc. to purchase a building for expansion of its Head Start program, and
· $19,118,861 for alterations and improvements to the buildings and grounds at Tunxis Community College.
“These are organizations and projects that provide great social and cultural service to our communities,” Senator Colapietro said.
Additionally, Senator Colapietro noted that $3,500,000 was authorized for road relocation, utility upgrades, new service facilities, and other improvements related to expanding the Lake Compounce Water Park in Southington.
“Although Lake Compounce isn’t wholly in my district,” Senator Colapietro added, “I pushed for the funding in for the park. I know that many of my constituents enjoy Lake Compounce, and I’m pleased that these funds are in the bond package.”
The package was later approved by the state House of Representatives in an 84-to-38 vote.
The total $3.15 billion package for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009 must still be signed into law by Gov. M. Jodi Rell; individual bonding projects must then be placed by the governor on the State Bond Commission agenda for its consideration and approval before any work is undertaken.
“I urge the governor to sign this package for the benefit of the State of Connecticut and to put these items for Bristol and Plymouth on the Bond Commission agenda,” Senator Colapietro said.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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