my point EXACTLY

the other day i posted this about a panel in ireland, the catholic church and the abuse of children. the following courant article was in today's paper

and oh, by the way, not for one second do i believe anything has changed in the catholic church

Connecticut Supreme Court: Unseal Priest Abuse Documents
By DAVE ALTIMARI |The Hartford Courant
For more than 15 years, some of the 23 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse claims against at least seven priests from the Bridgeport diocese have remained sealed, but on Friday for the second time the state Supreme Court ruled the public should have access to nearly all of the 12,675 pages.

As church officials criticized the court's decision and vowed to review all options to keep the files secret, victims' advocates hailed the ruling and questioned whether the documents will have a lasting negative impact on recently retired Cardinal Edward Egan, who ran the Bridgeport diocese as a bishop when many of the priest abuses were alleged to have occurred.

"Sadly, the history of this case has been about access by the secular media to internal church documents of cases more than 30 years ago to suggest, unfairly, that nothing has changed," the diocese's statement said.

"From the anti-church rhetoric of the first trial judge who proceeded to 'invent' an entirely new procedure to accommodate the press, to the lack of an impartial trial judge to reconsider the case on remand from the Connecticut Supreme Court, the history of this case raises issues that should be of concern to all. We are, therefore, currently reviewing our options in response to this decision."...............

some sad west hartford news

a little gem.

by the way, i like park road a kazillion times MORE than the center (where i refuse to go unless it's an emergency. now that sit-n-knit has moved to bloomfield, there is rarely a reason to go.

park road has TONS of restaurants (one of my favorites is india oven but there really ARE a ton (i can't forget plan b either).

lane and lenge one of THE best florists out there moved to park road a few months back. lovely new store. check it out!

West Hartford's Park Road Playhouse Closing Sunday
by HILDA MUÑOZ
WEST HARTFORD - The Park Road Playhouse, a nonprofit theater company, will close Sunday, more than eight years after it opened.

"I put my arms out to people who worked at the theater and all the audiences because it was a wonderful ride," said Howie Hirsch, founder and artistic director.

"Bedroom Farce" will be the 50th and final play. Hirsch, who blames the suffering economy for the closure, said he will be on the lookout for a more affordable space.

Hirsch and his wife, Linda, founded the playhouse in 2001. In more prosperous years, they specialized in solid, serious productions like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." Lately, they've been putting on a lot of comedies.......

a very nice story was in the courant yesterday

on the coffee trade in avon. as i've mentioned before, i worked in avon for a kazillion years. i've had MANY a cup o' steamin' joe at the coffee trade. i loved it there. it's not just a coffee shop you know, it's got STUFF. lots of STUFF. antiques type of stuff. it's in an old house (it appears to be an old house, but who knows????) and there are three separate sitting rooms. there are antiques in all of the rooms. it really is quite charming PLUS THEY HAVE DAMN FINE COFFEE. oh, if you're a tea drinker (and i've been known to partake now and again) they have quite a variety to choose from. they also make up gift baskets; coffees, teas, accouterments, biscotti, etc. if you're in the hood, DO stop in. it's right on route 44




Dick Portfolio Goes From Corporate Cog To Avon's Coffee King, And Never Looks Back
By SUSAN CAMPBELL

In these uncertain economic times, people holding on in the corporate world can take heart: If you're dropping by The Coffee Trade, prepare to be schooled.

The Avon coffee shop, which has been operating for about 20 years, has been owned by Dick and Joan Portfolio for the past 15. Over the years, Dick Portfolio has learned a few things.

He has learned that a person's choice for favorite coffee is as individual as a fingerprint.

He has learned more than one man should know about coffee. That's roasting, grinding brewing, and creating special coffees like his Obama blend, a mix of Hawaiian and Kenyan beans............

Dick Portfolio, the owner of The Coffee Trade in Avon, has created a blend of coffee named after President Barack Obama. He roasts the coffee in his Avon shop in which he has a roaster positioned in the retail sales room floor. (RICHARD MESSINA / HARTFORD COURANT / April 28, 2009)

the succulents wintered well