plan b at one way fare (in simsbury) will open today!!!

last night it opened for the friends and family gathering. plan b in west hartford also (almost EXACTLY one year to the day) had the day before 'friends and family'. i don't do people well (as my friend joe says, there will be people there, so a rose is a rose will NOT be there) so i decided NOT to attend. what i DID do though, is stop by in the afternoon. shawn, jen, al, ryan, joe, paul and a BUNCH of other people were putting the finishing touches on. i was literally AMAZED. what they did was astounding. they kept ALL of the charm of one way fare (i know EVERYONE was so very worried about losing that historic place) BUT made it PERFECT. i tell you it's perfect.

now remember, they were putting the finishing touches on BEFORE friends and family night.

(i am SO impressed you guys-a most OUTSTANDING job you ALL did!!!)

from the cool justice report

Making Perverts Pay

Megan Kanka and Jessica Lunsford:Battling Sexual Predators
By RICHARD MEEHAN
The Cool Justice Reportwww.cooljustice.blogspot.com
July 11, 2007
EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is available for reprint courtesy of The Cool Justice Report, http://cooljustice.blogspot.com

The tortured and ravaged death of a child has once again defined the law in Connecticut. In 1994 seven-year-old Megan Kanka was raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender who had moved into her New Jersey neighborhood. No one knew that a sexual predator named Jesse Timmendequas lived only doors down from Megan’s home. He lured her inside with a promise to see a puppy. He had two prior convictions for the sexual assault of very young children.Megan’s death became the catalyst for the establishment of sex offender registration programs through out the country. Profiles and locations of registered sex offenders are now available online in Connecticut at www.ct.gov/dps/cwp.


In 2005, 10-year-old Jessica Lunsford was abducted, raped and murdered by another convicted sex offender. Following her death Jessica’s dad, Mark Lunsford, crystallized efforts for more stringent controls of sex offenders and greater prison sentences. Ironically Jessica’s older brother was later arrested for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.As we have adopted a version of Megan’s Law, Connecticut has now adopted a version of Jessica’s Law. Jessica’s Law, Public Act 07-143, effective July 1, 2007. The purpose of the Act was to create mandatory minimum sentences for sex offenses against minors under the age of 13. Here are some of the highlights of the law:Section 3 of Jessica’s Law creates a new offense of aggravated sexual assault on a child under age 13, which now becomes a Class A felony with a penalty of a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence for a first conviction, and 50-year minimum mandatory sentence for a second offense;......................

a big fat shout out to justin goodman!

from what i know about justin, he really is a special person



(a caveat to this is, i personally do NOT support everything peta does. i used to be a member, but i no longer am. i DO support SOME of their activities though)


Creature Discomforts
Justin Goodman Fights For Humane Treatment For Animals, Including Pigs





By KATHLEEN MEGAN The Hartford Courant





Justin Goodman came to Connecticut three years ago to finish his undergraduate degree and pursue graduate work in sociology at the University of Connecticut, but there's little doubt he's most known here for his work protecting laboratory animals.Recently, Goodman, who is 27 and lives in Vernon, received PETA's Nanci Alexander Award - a national award given to the activist of the year - for his success in exposing experiments on monkeys' brains at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Last year, the research - which PETA called "cruel and deadly" - was shut down..........

picture: HOLLY BEAL / PETA, July 12, 2007
Goodman with, from left, actress Pamela Anderson, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk, and Nanci Alexander, a Florida activist, during an awards ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

every once in a while i'll post a STUPID connecticut criminal

well today it's NEW HAMPSHIRE that has the honors





Robber disguised as tree hits N.H. bank

MANCHESTER, N.H. --Leaf it to New Hampshire, where a bank branch was held up by a man disguised as a tree.
Just as the Citizen Bank branch opened Saturday morning, a man walked in with leafy boughs duct-taped to his head and torso, and robbed the place.
"He really went out on a limb," police Sgt. Ernie Goodno said Sunday.
Police said the leafy man didn't saying anything about having a weapon, just demanded cash, and was given an undisclosed amount.
Although the branches and leaves obscured much of the man's face, someone who saw images from the bank's security camera recognized the robber and called police..........

This security camera photo provided by the police shows a bank robber, left, wearing a disguise of leaves duct taped to his head and torso in the Citizens Bank, in Manchester, N.H. Saturday, July 7, 2007. (AP Photo)

(note: he DOES get a few points back for using duct tape though)

if you want to read about ANOTHER kind of bank robber, stop by cv rick's and get the scoop on one he knew

this is a billboard up by fenway

which would make it a bit more enjoyable on the mass pike!

(the even better part about it is the boston police and lt governor and the state police all welcome it!)

Gun control message is put across

listen to andy and colin

plan a poety gathering while they were on the air yesterday

go here for the podcast link

andy's blog the cool justice report

colin's blog to wit

black and blue (square) and the 'sterilazation' and death of west hartford center as we KNEW AND LOVED IT

i don't want black and blue square in my town. i'm shite out of luck on that one though 'cause it's there and i can't do a thing about it. west hartford center will now be a breeding ground for suvs and designer outfits (well it HAS been that for a while now but it will be WORSE) and martini drinking 'i want the world to see how cool i am' asses.

i'm in mourning

i want the acorn shop back
i want hilliards (sp) back
i want the lasalle shop back
i want teh central to be back
i want dunns to be back

Rents Rise, Some Worry
Longtime Businesses In West Hartford's Prime Shopping District Have Seen Lots Of Changes

By EZRA R. SILK Courant Staff Writer

WEST HARTFORD - Pfau's, an old-fashioned hardware store with tin ceilings where a homeowner can buy a single set screw and still get solid advice on house repairs, is a retail throwback in the glitzy regional shopping area that is downtown West Hartford.So is the Family Hair Care shop on LaSalle Road. The barbershop, which Tom Reddin opened 49 years ago, doesn't look like it's changed much. It has turn of the century barber chairs, a life-size pirate in the front window and hundreds of Elvis pictures and memorabilia.Reddin, 70, sports Elvis sideburns and slicked-back hair, both a testament to the King..........

.......................Now the center is a gleaming consumer bauble, soon to be enhanced by the $159 million Blue Back Square complex, complete with big-name anchor stores.............

.........Reddin is more blunt about the changes he's seen in West Hartford's retail heart: "The center has been sterilized."He remembers Hillyer's Candy Store, the LaSalle Restaurant deli, the recently shuttered War and Pieces hobby store and other evaporated retail haunts.To Reddin, high prices borne out of high rents have driven out some with smaller pockets, such as teenagers.............

and another goodbye to Spc. Andre Craig, Jr

my thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends

New Haven Soldier Laid To Rest

Bob Child, Associated Press( July 6, 2007)
A U.S. Army honor guard puts Andre Craig Jr.'s casket into a hearse as Craig's family waits inside the doorway of Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church in New Haven.

my thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of petty officer 1st class jason dale lewis

Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jason D. Lewis



i am so very sorry for your loss. my thoughts and prayers are with all of you and with all of the men and women so far from home.


of course my thoughts and prayers for the families and friends of petty officer 1st class Robert Richard McRill and petty officer first class Steven Phillip Daugherty as well

Brookfield Navy SEAL killed in Iraq

(Brookfield-WTNH) _ Petty Officer First Class Jason Dale Lewis, 30, died Friday in Iraq while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Navy says Lewis died when an improvised explosive device detonated under the Humvee in which he was riding. Robert Richard McRill, 42, and Steven Phillip Daugherty, 28, also died in the IED blast.
The Brookfield native joined the Navy in 1996. He lived in Virginia Beach with his wife and three children.
Governor Rell has ordered all state and U.S. flags be flown at half-staff in honor of Lewis........

Brookfield Native Dies In Iraq

By DAVE ALTIMARI Courant Staff Writer

A 30-year-old Navy SEAL who was a Brookfield native was killed Friday by an improvised explosive device during a combat mission in Baghdad, military officials confirmed on Saturday.Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jason D. Lewis was one of three sailors killed by the bomb. Naval officials would not release any more details on how or where Lewis was killed or what the sailors were doing when the bomb exploded, citing security concerns.Lewis is survived by his wife, Donna, and three children who live in Virginia Beach, Va. Donna Lewis is also from Brookfield.................

we STILL don't have our tax bills yet in west hartford

of course taxes were due july 1st. when i called the town last week they confirmed they were NOT mailed yet and there would be an extension. i forgot if she said until august 1st or the END of august. that's neither here nor there, we're all going to be paying taxes OUT our ASSES

black and blue square was supposed to STOP that from happening. of course not only hasn't it stopped it, so far (and it's not even opened yet), it's MUCH MUCH MUCH WORSE.

it's a horror show driving ANYWHERE near the center. i'll only stop now to run into sit-n-knit. and then only in a yarn emergency.

farmington avenue is a mess, trout brook is a mess and please don't even get me started on main street AND park road (especially by the highway exit).

speaking of black and blue here is an article listing more of the stores and whatever else that's going in there

Retail space is filling up at Blue Back Square

Heavy construction continues at Blue Back Square in West Hartford Center, in anticipation of a November 2007 opening. An update was released this week from the developers, reflecting a significant step forward in the number of retail tenants signing rental leases. The retail spac, as expected, is filling up.

When completed, Blue Back Square will have a total of 600,000 square feet of space that will include condominiums, apartments, medical offices, a Healthtrax fitness center, professional offices (non-medical), a movie theater, restaurants, and the retail stores. Ed Pilkington, executive director of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce, sees Blue Back Square solidifying West Hartford Center's regional attraction. "On behalf of the Chamber, I am very excited about the diversity of retail options," said Pilkington. "These tenants are great additions to Blue Back Square and they will contribute to West Hartford remaining the premier shopping destination in the region."Retail tenants include a 1,988-square-foot Lucy Activewear, a 4,163-square-foot National Jean Company, a 3,100-square-foot Homeward Bound, and a 1,201-square- foot JD's Cosmetic Essentials. Robert Wienner is a partner in Blue Back Square/JDA Development. "I am thrilled with the amount of response that we have had to leasing retail space at Blue Back Square as we move toward grand opening this fall," Wienner said in a prepared statement. "We are currently over 85 percent leased and have continued progress and interest from many different retailers, restaurants and service oriented merchants."....

NOTE: i had not heard of most of these stores before so i looked them up. lucy activewear looks like a medium priced clothing store for 'hip YOUNG teenaged typed babes'. national jean company sells different brands of jeans to 'hip YOUNG teenaged typed babes'. homeward bound is a connecticut based store focusing on the greening of the earth (i'm guessing they are higher end. how else could they afford the black & blue rent??? any way seems they sell furniture and the like). jd cosmetics sells a few (very few from what i could tell) higher end cosmetics for the 'hip YOUNG teenaged typed babes' to look AS BEAUTIFUL AS THEY CAN. janie and jack sell baby clothes (i'm sure nothing i'd ever put a kid into. oh shoot, i take that back, i WOULD put a kid into that beret!). there are other stores named in the article and a movie theater and a restaurant that serves big hunks o' dead cow.

beret picture: janie & jack

more plan b at one way fare news

UPDATE (click link to the right for pictures) - july 13 2007 : opening july 13 2007

during the late afternoon on the fourth of july - i ran into shawn and jen and al. where were they all morning and afternoon? WORKING ON PLAN B AT ONE WAY FARE! dedication i must say

at any rate, shawn assures me it will be open NEXT weekend (no, not THIS weekend). it will be exactly a year from the opening of plan b in west hartford.

how fortuitous!

i can't wait to go see it. they really have been working so damn hard on it.

(p.s. shawn, thanks for the stoli elite!)

look out for this GIANT tag sale

to assist with aids patient housing

the tag sale is on park road in west hartford on july 13th and 14th. just a stone's throw away.

stop on by, i'm sure you'll find at least a LITTLE something to your liking



Jumbo Tag Sale To Help Home For AIDS Patients

By JOANN KLIMKIEWICZ
Hartford Courant

Black-tie benefits, with their posh guest lists and steep ticket prices, do a nice job of pulling in charitable donations. This Loretta Dyson knew.
'But they're a little bit pricey for plain folks like me,' says Dyson. 'I thought, `How about something that would appeal to just about anybody and everybody?'' She thought about it and thought some more. And then it came to her.
A good bargain. Who doesn't love a good bargain? And so was born the Tabor House Tag Sale, a massive annual event Dyson helped launch 13 years ago to raise funds for local men and women living with HIV/AIDS. From the first tag sale's $2,000 profit to last year's record $10,000, every dollar and dime has gone straight to Tabor House, one of the state's first AIDS residences. Proceeds from this year's event, scheduled July 13 and 14 at the convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph at 27 Park Road in West Hartford, will also benefit AIDS Project Hartford.....

this tracking sounds like a GOOD idea to me

as long as it's not abused, i think it's a grand idea. the MORE we can do for our veterans the better!
Tracking Wounded Veterans
State Seeks Notification When Troops Come Home So It Can Offer Services

By JESSE HAMILTON | Courant Staff Writer

NORWICH - Connecticut political leaders have taken the lead in trying to establish a simple paperwork procedure that may help save wounded war veterans from bureaucratic limbo.

Right now, when a member of the military who has been wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan is discharged from active duty and returns to his or her home state, the state is not told by the Department of Defense.

Though those veterans may be eligible for state services, the state has no way of knowing they are back.
So U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said Tuesday that he will introduce a stand-alone bill next week that would direct the Department of Defense to tell states the names and contact information of all servicemen and women discharged from the military, to help them get the services they're entitled to.
...........

it's about darn time!!!

i think this is a MOST welcome idea!!!

State to offer online vehicle registrations

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. -- The state will try out a new program allowing some vehicle owners to renew their registrations online, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Tuesday.Registrations are currently renewed through mail or by visiting a Department of Motor Vehicles branch office.
"This is a long-overdue but fantastic start for making DMV transactions accessible online to those who want this convenience rather than going to a DMV office or using the mail," Rell said. "Other kinds of the upgrades in technology now occurring in the agency will help DMV bring online more services to benefit residents."............

how cool is this? in a land far far away

D. Finnin/AMNH, June 27, 2007
This 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan of over 19 feet guards the entrance to Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids, a new special exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History.

well, NOT so far. about two hours away.





i am going to see this. it's right up my alley. i have plenty of time too. it goes on through january





A Fabled Journey





By KIRA GOLDENBERG Courant Staff Writer





I was standing on tiptoes, stretching over an extra-tall ticket counter to see my receipt printing at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, when a security guard sidled up next to me. I signed my receipt, lowered my heels and turned to smile at him."Oh - you were on tiptoe," he said. "I was about to remark on how tall you are, but you're actually short."I'm 5 feet 8.


For my "daycation," I grabbed a friend and made for New York to see the museum's "Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids" exhibit. New York is full of pricier adventures, but the city can captivate when you're simply walking around, people-watching - and flirting with bored security guards........





...........The exhibit is a fascinating combination of fancy and scholarship. Divided into land, sea and sky, each section features display cases devoted to various mythic creatures from all over the world, with panels that recount a version of each creature's legend. The tales are underscored with historical artifacts like sculptures, bones and 16th-century biology texts, all illustrating the persistence of the folkloric imagination throughout history and across continents......

da liebs

ready willing and don't for a second doubt, VERY capable of starting ANOTHER war

i don't like the government of iran. they are evil and even more unjust than our own government. there are terrorists in iran. i have no idea how many or if the government is bankrolling and training them. my point is i don't think DA LIEBS HAS THAT INFORMATION EITHER.

before starting YET ANOTHER WAR where our men and women are being harmed maimed and killed, WHY DON'T WE GATHER ALL OF THE FACTS. why don't we determine what is true and what isn't true.

we invaded iraq based on lies. are we going to continue to invade more countries without having the full story?

Lieberman: Iran has declared war on the US

Josh Catone
Following a statement issued by the American Forces Press Service accusing Iran's Quds Force of "training, funding and arming the Iraqi groups," as well as Hezbollah operatives in Iraq, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) released a statement saying that Iran has declared war on America."Although no one desires a conflict with Iran, the fact is that the Iranian government by its actions has declared war on us," Lieberman wrote, while urging the United States to keep "open the possibility of using military force against the terrorist infrastructure inside Iran.".........

Lieberman: Iran Has Declared War

By DAVID LIGHTMAN Washington Bureau Chief, The Hartford Courant

............Lieberman said he hoped the latest news about Iran would help quash calls in Congress to withdraw U. S. troops.Withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq at this time, he added, "will give Iranians exactly what they want most" -- an "epic victory" for forces of terrorism."Iran's purpose in sponsoring these attacks against our soldiers is clear," he said. "The Iranian government wants to push the United States out of Iraq................

a shout out (a BIG one) to my friend lk

tyshawn and lk

mikey relaxin'

chris and lk

alli tyshawn katie and of course lil' gizmo

she just got back from a few days in new orleans. what was she doing you ask? sure, she went out and had fun during the evenings. during the day she was BUILDING HOUSES FOR HABITAT! that's so very wicked cool

alli katie and lk

i'm STILL angry the citizens of the great state of connecticut

voted this man, who is CLEARLY not quite right, back into office. makes me think my fellow citizens are NOT QUITE RIGHT either

(and by the way, i am NOT against surveillance of ANY kind as long as it is done WITHIN THE LAWS)

Lieberman calls for wider use of surveillance cameras

By Klaus Marre July 01, 2007

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said Sunday he wants to “more widely” use surveillance cameras across the country.“The Brits have got something smart going in England, and it was part of why I believe they were able to so quickly apprehend suspects in the terrorist acts over the weekend, and that is they have cameras all over London and other of their major cities,” Lieberman said.“I think it’s just common sense to do that here much more widely,” he added. “And of course, we can do it without compromising anybody’s real privacy.”Lieberman lamented the “petty, partisan fighting” in Congress and called on his colleagues to join together to upgrade the nation’s electronic surveillance capabilities............

ugliness-VERY early morning june 29 2007

it's no bad news thursday: and we have birds bees butterfiles and bats

CONNECTICUT COOL!!!

New postage stamps give a lesson on the birds and the bees

_ A Connecticut artist is the inspiration behind a set of postage stamps that will feature the birds and the bees.
The four-stamp set, going on sale Friday, focuses on the importance of pollination by illustrating creatures that are active in that process -- birds, bees, butterflies and bats.
The stamps were designed by artist Steve Buchanan of Winsted. ........

New postage stamps give a lesson on the birds and the bees

.........The 41-cent stamps will be released in a ceremony at the Agriculture Department. They show four wildflowers, the purple nightshade, hummingbird trumpet, saguaro and prairie ironweed. Shown busy pollinating them are two Morrison's bumblebees, a calliope hummingbird, a lesser long-nosed bat and a Southern dogface butterfly.............

charlie

he just LOOKS cool, doesn't he? therapy animals are a wonderful thing! animals are a wonderful thing!

At Derby Neck Library, Cindy Trifone, right, of Soul Friends shows 2-year-old Lyndsy Pontillo, of Trumbull, how to properly approach her therapy dog Charlie during a program called "How a Dog's Brain Works" about positive reinforcement to change behavior in both canines and humans. Looking on, from right, were Rosie McGrath, 3, of Shelton, Penny Pontillo, of Trumbull, James McGrath, 2, of Shelton, and Julia Dota, 3, of Derby. (Tracy Deer/Connecticut Post)

Derby therapy dogs help Valley children

MATTHEW HIGBEE mhigbee@ctpost.com

DERBY — For many children, the earliest lessons in caring and responsibility are learned through caring for the family dog. Cindy Trifone, a mental health counselor for children and teenagers, has taken those lessons a step further. Trifone and her business partner, Kate Nicoll, a trained clinical therapist, are using therapy dogs in their practice, Soul Friends, to help young people with autism, grief, trauma from abuse, and a range of other emotional and developmental problems. The human-animal bond is a gift that the dog brings to the therapy," said Trifone, who was visiting the Derby Neck Library on Tuesday with Charlie, a terrier......

.......A rescue from the Woodbridge Animal Shelter, Charlie has a story that many patients identify with, Trifone added. He was emaciated when she took him home 2 1/2 years ago, and needed to be housebroken......

to the family and friends of 'dre', army specialist andre craig

my thoughts and prayers are with you. i am so very sorry for your loss

New Haven soldier killed in Iraq

by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke

New Haven-WTNH) _ Army Specialist Andre Craig, 24, was killed in Baghdad on Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded near his convoy.
Just a few short weeks ago, Craig walked the streets of his New Haven home, showing off his baby girl and celebrating his 24th birthday with friends and family.
"He was a very friendly person, an outgoing person," said neighbor Anthony Winfrey. "When I heard about his passing it just tore me apart cause I was right here with the guy a couple weeks ago."........

New Haven Soldier Killed In Iraq Mourned

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A New Haven family on Tuesday mourned the loss of their son, who was killed in Iraq.
Army Spc. Andre Craig, 22, was killed on Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle.
Neighbors said Craig had just come home on leave a few weeks ago and saw his baby daughter, Taylor, for the first time. Craig was known as "Dre" on Rosette Street, where he lived in New Haven

"He's a good person," said Barbara Smith, a neighbor of Craig's. "I'm going to miss you Dre. I'm going to really miss you."........

New Haven Soldier Killed In Iraq 24-Year-Old Army Specialist, A Convoy Gunner, Died In A Roadside Bomb Blast

By STEPHANIE SUMMERS, And ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER Courant Staff Writers

NEW HAVEN -- Army Spec. Andre Craig of New Haven is reportedly one of several U.S. soldiers who died in the past few days in roadside bomb attacks in Iraq.Jessica Mayorga, director of communications for New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., said Tuesday night that the mayor's office had been notified of Craig's death by several sources but was awaiting official confirmation from the military.

Mayorga said it appeared Craig was the first New Haven resident to die in the Iraq war.Craig, who turned 24 on June 18, was a gunner in a convoy in Baghdad, one of the riskiest jobs in the war, WTNH-TV, Channel 8, reported Tuesday evening. The station reported he was killed by a roadside bomb.............

when connecticut bishops

are able to get pregnant, THEN and ONLY THEN will their comments on plan b be worth anything

Conn. bishops claim Plan B law takes shot at religious freedom

By Susan Haigh, Associated Press Writer

HARTFORD, Conn. --Victim advocates cheered a recent bill requiring all Connecticut hospitals to offer emergency contraception to rape victims, but Roman Catholic leaders see it as the beginning of a new national assault on religious freedom.
The bishops in this heavily Catholic but pro-choice state say the legislation, already signed into law by the Republican governor, could force Connecticut's four Catholic hospitals to perform what they consider chemical abortions.
An attorney for the hospitals said they are considering state or federal legal action claiming the new law that takes effect Oct. 1 infringes on their constitutional rights.............

leonard domler

has passed. i didn't even know. he was a friend of the family. i know his kids.

the last time i saw him was at a relative's (both his and mine but from different sides) wedding. he was very old and very frail. he still had that twinkle in his eyes though.

he (and fran) were special people. i'm glad their paths crossed mine

A Driving Force Behind Folk Music In The Hartford Area

By ANNE M. HAMILTON, Special to The Courant


Len Domler's first love was country music, but over the years, he became known for bringing Odetta, Pete Seeger, Doc Watson and hundreds of other folk singers to Hartford. They all performed at the Sounding Board or the Hartford Family Folk Festival, which Domler ran.

Started in 1973, the Sounding Board is one of the oldest continuously running folk music sites in the country, according to Susan Forbes Hansen, a folk-radio show host. "He kept this venue growing, and it spawned a lot of others in the area," she said. "It's helped make Southern New England a hub for folk music."And while he was known for his overwhelming admiration of Johnny Cash, Domler also became a convert to folk music..........

i couldn't agree MORE with chris dodd on this one

for years i've been saying, ALL kids right out of high school (especially those who are planning on attending college) should be made to do some type of community service. in return, i think their education should be paid for (if going to a state school) or subsidized (if going to a private school).

i'm all with the adults doing service as well. i'm lucky - my company DOES allow for volunteer work/community service during work hours. (however, i've done most of my volunteerism on my own time)

Dodd Urges Mandatory Community Service


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) -- Aiming to create the first generation in which all Americans serve their country, Democratic presidential hopeful Chris Dodd is offering a range of initiatives to encourage -- and in some cases compel -- community service.
''All Americans should serve our country,'' the Connecticut senator said in remarks prepared for delivery Saturday. ''Endowed as we are with so many gifts, is it too much to ask that we each give something back to this remarkable place?''
He proposes making community service mandatory for all high school students, doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 and expanding the AmeriCorps national service program to 1 million participants by the end of his presidency.
Requiring high school students to perform community service will give them a chance to acquire new skills while meeting the needs of their communities, Dodd said........

grrrls and sports

REMIGINO-KNAPP, center, the athletic director for West Hartford schools, stands with other female coaches for the district: Pam Moffo, from left, Susan Startzman- Daly, Sue McAuliffe Curnias and Kathy Walling. Remigino-Knapp was a student at Hall High School when female coaches staged a boycott in 1971 to fight to be paid for their work in the West Hartford schools. A year later, Title IX would help pave the way for further equality for girls and women in athletics. (MARC-YVES REGIS I)

i went to hall. i went around that time period as well. i hated sports (and to this day i hate MOST sports exept for my beloved red sox. oh ok, i like hockey too and perhaps the celtics in their heyday) in high school. i hated them with a passion. i did play field hockey and was good at it. goalie. as far as i can remember, that's about all we played among other schools. i don't think we played basketball or baseball, or similar sports. there is no reason GRRRLS can't play competitive sports in high school if they want to. they SHOULD have every equal opportunity boys do. we're MORE than cheerleaders.

i was quite the rebel when i was in junior and high school. i know i was SICK of playing golf in high school (to this day i HATE it so much i cannot even express it accurately). i don't remember if i was a sophomore or junior (i don't think i was a senior) but i decided to do something for me and all the other grrrls in all of the other high schools. i tried out for the boys basketball team. i was NO good. that was NOT the point. i didn't want to make the team. i wanted THEM to know i should have the SAME chance of playing on a team that competed against other schools as any other student. penis or not.

even back then i was a rabelrouser. of course they kicked me out of the gym but i felt good and i think i made THEM feel more uncomfortable (i'm good at that).

(oh and i remember ms rosenkrans too! a shout out to her)

Female Coaches Played Hardball A Year Before Title IX, Boycott Led To Wages

By LORI RILEY, Courant Staff Writer

Betty Remigino-Knapp's father won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Her mother grew up with a tennis court in her backyard and played football and baseball with the boys in her neighborhood. Lindy and June Remigino encouraged their four daughters to play sports, but there was little offered for girls in West Hartford in the 1960s.

When Betty entered Hall High School in the fall of 1969, she played some field hockey and basketball and ran track. But the sports were a far cry from girls high school sports today. The schedules and travel were limited. The girls wore the same uniforms for all three sports. There was a "girls gym" - smaller, no bleachers, no scoreboard - and a "boys gym" - bigger, with bleachers and a scoreboard.The girls didn't complain. They were just happy to be able to participate........

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i wasn't going to write about this at all

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i wasn't going to write about this at all

a shout out to the farmington valley school in avon

thank you for your tribute to our fallen

Avon students pay tribute to fallen soldiers

by News Channel 8's Jodi Latina

(Hartford-WTNH) _ Students from an Avon school's civics class brought their classroom to the capitol today. They're paying tribute in a unique way to American soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq.
The lawn of the state capitol was transformed into a makeshift memorial.
18-year old Jack Vivert, a senior at the Farmington Valley School in Avon, read some of the 3,500 names he and his classmates wrote down on paper. Each piece shows the name of an American soldier killed in the line of duty in Iraq.
These students are part of a civics class that often does hands on projects. This one took two weeks to make, along with a lot of emotional investment.
"Everyone talks about how much they hate the war but no one's doing anything," Vivert said...........

plan b at one way fare

UPDATE (click link to the right for pictures) - july 13 2007 : opening july 13 2007

(chris and eddie)

(chris, eddie and cathy)

i FINALLY ran into shawn yesterday. he and al are hard at work at one way fare in simsbury. he was SO excited. i've not seen him like this in a LONG time. all he could talk about was the lighting he got for the bar. they're being specially blown somewhere in ny (that is SO shawn!).

at any rate, i hear the joint should finally be open in approximately two weeks - give or take.

(shawn at the half door after a hard day of working at plan b at one way fare - all pictures taken at the half door by the way)

i can't wait. i know how hard they work to get everything perfect (yet you DO feel at home).

(dottie and marianne)

why is it i don't trust

what our government says about dragon skin armor???

at any rate, that is neither here nor there for gareth mello. let's wish him well along with all of the other deployed troops from connecticut AND the rest of the states as well!
(let's hope some day, some how, somewhere, there is NO MORE red tape and our troops can get ALL of the equipment they NEED WHEN they need it)

Steeled To Fight For Body Armor Marine's Father Pressing To Maximize Protection

By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief


SOMERS -- Gordon Mello made sure his son, Gareth, took swimming lessons as an infant.Gordon Mello's brother had drowned at a young age, and he vowed to do all he could to teach his children how to deal with danger.
Protecting his son inevitably got harder as Gareth grew up. "You watched him get plunked by a pitch in Little League," the father recalled. "But you also know that learning the ability to bounce back develops confidence."Gareth Mello today is a 24-year-old Marine corporal, headed back to Iraq for a second tour of duty, and his father still feels a yearning to protect him. He's bought him $1,470 worth of equipment, including a Dragon Skin vest routinely used by some U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies to compensate for what the military is not providing...............

voices in conflict

it's NOT about the war, it's about the troops! (and mr lanza is correct. that IS what it's about) oh yeah, and principal canty is a giant weenie


Canceled school play about Iraq brings out real drama
Connecticut students find themselves in the national spotlight when their principal shuts down their play.

By Harry BruiniusWilton, Conn.

Stone-faced and grim, six boys from Wilton High School are marching in formation, stomping out the ominous rhythm of foot soldiers, and saluting from their chests. Together, they stop to shout: "For all the free people that still protest, you're welcome! You're welcome!"
It's a defiant rap, first written by U.S. Marines in Kuwait to taunt those who protested the first Gulf War, and now incorporated into a spring play, "Voices in Conflict," a dramatic series of monologues taken from interviews and letters from real soldiers in combat. This scene, however, has the most complicated stage directions, and Courtney Stack, a junior in charge of the choreography, is barking out orders, showing the boys how to move their feet and swing their shoulders as the pounding march becomes a flowing hip-hop groove. ........


Kids' Iraq Play Hits Big Stage After School Bars It
Wilton, Conn., Kids Get Standing Ovation for Off Broadway Performance

A group of high school students in a small Connecticut town wanted to perform a play telling the stories of actual soldiers in Iraq. But their school said no, afraid it might offend members of their community.
Although the students were silenced on their own stage in Wilton, Conn., they were given another -- Off Broadway in New York City.
Nick Lanza, a performer in the play, said it isn't about the war, it's about the troops.
"For us, it's pro-troops," Lanza said, "It's about the troops' feelings, what's happening to the troops, not whether or not war is an issue."..........

original posting and more voices

the grrrls (and some dreadful softball news)

cathy is back in town for a couple of days. I MISS HER MUCHO!!! here are cathy and lk hangin'

and i'm afraid i have some bad news. the masterbatters are 0 and 12!!!! (i told them i was going to run to my car. i had some extra skirts in there they could borrow)

a little history on bushnell park

picture: galenfrysinger.org/us/xmas05116.jpg

for example (and i didn't know this one) it was the FIRST publicly funded park in the country!

i did know there is a river running under it.

we (the big brothers big sisters group i belong to) were supposed to go to the carousel the other day but there was a bus mix up and we never did go. the kids were horribly upset (as were some of the bigs but we STILL had fun)

A Walk With History A Brisk Tour Of Bushnell Park - Its Key Shapers, Trees, Buried River

Story By SUSAN CAMPBELL, The Hartford Courant

picture: hartnet.org/als/Cable%20Collection/Images...

It's a beautiful spring day, and Edward Richardson of Glastonbury has just climbed 96 steps to the top of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Hartford's Bushnell Park. To the south are the gold domes of the state Capitol and the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. To the north? I-84 and the train station, and all around are the tops of the trees.That is Richardson's special love, the park's trees. After he retired from the Phoenix insurance company in the '80s, he wrote a guide to them, and he's happy to give a brisk tour.

Brisk because there's much to see in the park.But first? A little history: Back in the 1850s, Hartford was a happening place. In roughly a decade, manufacturing and insurance, banking and munitions concerns hummed, and the population nearly doubled. With the influx of new residents - many of them immigrants - came increased crime and sticky sanitation problems......

picture: thecarouselmuseum.org/pic_bushnellpark_ca

women

are second class citizens

if you (ALLEGEDLY) try to stab your ex-girlfriend MULTIPLE TIMES with a SHARP PIECE OF BROKEN WOOD, then (ALLEGEDLY) knock her to the floor and (ALLEGEDLY) try to strangle her then last but NOT least (allegedly) STOMP HER FACE WITH YOUR DIRTY WORK BOOTS- YOU GET OFF WITH A $1,000 BAIL AMOUNT (remember what ken krayeske's bail was? i do and it was 75 times what this dude's was)

what is wrong with the justice system? who is responsible for this bail amout?


Bloomfield Man Accused Of Attacking Ex-Girlfriend
By DAVID OWENS, The Hartford Courant

VERNON -- A Bloomfield man has been charged with brutally assaulting his former girlfriend at her Rockville apartment.Garfield Heinz Johnson, 36, of 7 Norman Drive, was arraigned today on charges of second-degree assault, breach of peace and violation of a protective order. He posted $1,000 bail before his arraignment, but Deputy Assistant State's Attorney Charles Johnson put the defendant on notice that he would seek to increase his bond at his next court date, which is July 3.
Garfield Johnson is accused of smashing his way into his former girlfriend's apartment, trying repeatedly to stab her with a sharp piece of broken wood, then pushing her to the floor and trying to strangle her.The former girlfriend "found it impossible to breathe and she thought she was going to die," according to the warrant for Johnson's arrest. Johnson then stopped trying to strangle the woman, the warrant reads, and stood up and began to stomp her face. He was wearing work boots, the warrant reads.

a must read on da liebs

stuff i didn't know. makes me nauseated than i already was

'President’ Lieberman: A Cautionary Tale

by Robert Scheer
What if Al Gore had won the 2000 presidential election but died in office? Would President Joe Lieberman have been worse than George W. Bush? His recent actions suggest that he could have descended even lower in his illogical and immoral responses to the tragedy of 9/11. Although now an independent, Lieberman provides a cautionary tale for folks who talk of backing “any Democrat” who can win.
At a time when even President Bush has recognized the need for negotiations with Iran in order to stabilize Iraq, where disciples of Tehran’s ayatollahs have risen to power, thanks to the U.S. occupation he fervently supports, Lieberman urges war with Iran. “I think we’ve got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq,” he told CBS on Sunday, “and to me, that would include a strike over the border into Iran.” ..........

better than being armed - that's for sure

curtis sliwa is comin' to town and i don't think it's a half bad idea at all!

(the only thing upsetting about this is his comments about RACE WARS. it sounds like he is assuming the issues in new haven are ONLY among jews and blacks. i don't live in new haven and i don't know for sure but i have a stinking suspicion the violence EFFECTS ALL. it goes past color and class and religion and gender)

Guardian Angels founder bringing group to New Haven



by News Channel 8's Chris Velardi Posted June 13, 2007 Updated 12:15 PM
(New Haven-WTNH) _ The founder of the Guardian Angels is coming to New Haven Thursday to help patrol the city's Edgewood Park area. This comes after a neighborhood group started armed patrols in the area.
"It just highlights the problems and the issues that have been raised over the last several days and over the last two years," Eliezer Greer said.
That's why Eliezer and his brother Dov Greer decided to take matters into their own hands, to hop on their bikes and patrol the Edgewood Neighborhood armed with guns........

......"I understand their pain, I understand their victimization, and I understand their frustration at the growing violent crime problem," the group's founder Curtis Sliwa said during a live telephone interview on Good Morning Connecticut, "except I'm bringing a solution -- an inter-racial patrol, unarmed."
Sliwa plans to meet with the Greers Thursday. He says they have the right idea, but they may be going about it wrong. Sliwa believes the armed patrols may lead to a racial war.......

i wrote about this before. not the two officers suits but their complaints against burr and against oxford's first selectman august palmer iii. i searched high and low for the posting but i just can't find it.


IF what troopers john butkevicius and patrick carroza say about burr is true (that he had his guns taken away MORE than once for domestic complaints), WHY THE HELL IS BURR STILL ON THE JOB AND CARRYING GUNS? therapy or not ....

either butkevicius and carroza are correct in what they say

....... "Two woman filed three restraining orders against Burr, and police officials took his guns away twice. He was arrested in one of the incidents, but the charges have since been dropped and he is back on the job. He traded a gun for a tattoo in Waterbury and improperly disposed of drugs found at a death scene, according to the lawsuit.Palmer allowed Burr to return to work over the objections of Butkevicius and Carroza. The troopers claim that they were later harassed by Burr and that his instability "caused them to be in fear for their lives and the lives of their families and loved ones." "..

or august palmer iii is correct. it should be a matter of public record if three restraining orders were filed against burr. it should be a matter of public record if he had his guns taken away TWICE. it should be a matter of public record if burr improperly 'disposed' of drugs at a crime scene and it should be a matter of record if he traded a gun for a tattoo (was the gun registered? is it legal to trade a gun for ink? did the tattoo artist then register the gun in her or his name?)

i wonder how one starts to investigate this? if the above is true about burr we're ALL in deep deep shite if he's back on the job with a loaded weapon

Troopers Sue Over `B-Team' Treatment Supervisors Accused Of Ignoring Complaints

By TRACY GORDON FOX, Courant Staff Writer

Two state troopers have sued five state police supervisors, two former commanders and the former public safety commissioner, saying their civil rights were violated and their work environment was hostile because they are not on the department's "A-team."Troopers John Butkevicius and Patrick Carroza, who at one time were resident state troopers in Oxford, also are suing the town's first selectman, August Palmer III, and a local police officer, James Burr, in the suit filed in U.S. District Court in New Haven Tuesday.

The two troopers claim they were removed as Oxford's co-resident troopers after they complained about the behavior of a local officer, whom they supervised.........

and this from behind the blue wall (back in late 2005)

November 30th - December 1st, 2005 - Oxford Police Cpl. James Burr has just been suspended again. He's had three restraining orders filed against him by 2 women and has been suspended from duty & had his guns taken away twice. The State Troopers supervising Burr say they fear he'll hurt them or somebody else, that he's unstable, and possibly using drugs. Burr's ex-girlfriend said in court that he called her recently 94 times in two days, parked outside her house, and she's afraid. His former wife also filed a restraining order against him in 2003 and a second one in 2004. Oxford First Selectman (City Manager) August Palmer III had planned on having Burr RETURN TO WORK regardless of everything but yesterday Judge Deborah Frankel extended his restraining order for 6 months, and today finally it's announced there will be an internal investigation. FINALLY! BURR BLAMES the murder-suicide last week - Trooper Victor Diaz murdered Officer Ciara McDermott - for the current extension of his restraining order, but he was collecting those before last week's tragedy. Police are also looking into whether Burr made threatening comments to others that he would go after the 2 troopers if he lost his job.......

State drops harassment case against Oxford cop


...Mariano said Burr has gone for counseling and "has done perfectly well. He's done everything he's supposed to. He's volunteered for more extensive drug tests than are necessary, and he's passed with flying colors."
Based on conversations with the Family Relations Office and on psychiatric testing Burr underwent, Mariani said the State's Attorneys Office felt dropping the charges was not a problem. He also said Gaudett was fine with the case being nolled...

my feeling is this: you can go to ALL the counseling in the universe. if, for a job you carry guns BUT need to take 'extensive' drug tests and have had restraining orders taken out on you and have called your ex 94 times in two days i sure don't think you should be allowed to carry a gun any longer. i think you can change your life around sure. i think you can become a new person, a better person, a good person. BUT - i just don't want to take a chance and put a gun back into your hands. PERIOD

as far as i'm concerned he crossed the line LONG ago

but now even his OWN PARTY thinks he's gone way too far

i think his remarks are without thought. i think they're based on one thing and one thing only and it has NOTHING to do with american soldiers being killed

i think what he said on sunday is insane AND dangerous

Lieberman asked to resign from his own party

(WTNH) _ The Connecticut for Lieberman Party is calling on Senator Joseph Lieberman to resign from the U.S. Senate following his remarks made Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation regarding military action against Iran.
Lieberman said on the national television program that, "we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians." .......

Attack Iran? Joe Stirs Debate Senator: The Threat Boosts Diplomacy

By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON -- Joe Lieberman this week triggered the debate Washington really doesn't want: what to do about Iran.For nearly three decades, Iran has been the foreign policy irritant no American president or Congress has been able to contain.
Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, has been suggesting all week that the United States and its allies should be prepared to take military action against Iran if the country continues helping extremists who are killing American soldiers in Iraq.He is not urging such a strike at the moment, but Connecticut's junior senator argued Tuesday that "diplomacy is only likely to succeed if it is backed by a credible threat of consequences.".............

.........The comments triggered an instant firestorm. Retired Gen. Wesley Clark weighed in Monday and again Tuesday, calling the senator's views "highly irresponsible and counter-productive," and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson suggested a softer approach, such as sanctions.........

da liebs da warmonger

hey you piece of steamin' you know what, IRANIANS WOULD NOT BE KILLING AMERICANS IN IRAQ (if in fact they are at all. i'm uncertain of that) IF WE WEREN'T IN IRAQ IN THE FIRST PLACE. we shouldn't be there. iraq never attacked the united states. they were NOT the ones who flew the planes into the pentagon or the world trade center. they were NOT the ones that trained the terrorists. there was and is NO REASON for us to have invaded THEIR country. there was and is NO REASON for us to have displaced tens of thousands of iraqi citizens.

if we bring our troops home, neither iraqis or iranians will be killing OUR men and women. it's simple. BRING THEM HOME NOW

Lieberman says U.S. should prepare to strike Iran

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Joe Lieberman said Sunday the United States should consider a military strike against Iran because of Tehran's involvement in Iraq."I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq," Lieberman said. "And to me, that would include a strike over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back into Iraq to kill our soldiers."
The U.S. accuses Iran of fostering terrorism and Tehran's nuclear ambitions have brought about international reproach.Lieberman, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000 who now represents Connecticut as an independent, spoke of Iranians' role in the continued violence in Iraq...............

is this legal???

i sure don't want armed vigilantes in MY hood. even if they ARE on bikes

no, i wouldn't mind citizen patrols but NOT with guns. that's a disaster waiting to happen

Armed citizen patrol in New Haven

by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke

New Haven-WTNH) _ One group armed with guns is ready to make their New Haven neighborhood a safer place by patrolling in the area around Edgewood Park.
The Edgewood Park Defense Patrol will be patrolling the 16-block area from Whalley to Edgewood and Winthrop to West Park. They believe that the police are not doing their part to keep the streets safe.
Their uniform is a black tee-shirt with Edgewood Park Defense Patrol and their mission is to keep peace on the streets with armed bike patrols.
"It's certainly not the substitute that one would want but when you're missing what you're supposed to have and things are slipping out of hand then you're left with no choice but to do something about it," said Eliezer Greer. .............