Wednesday, March 07, 2007

if this isn't one of THE most disturbing stories you have ever heard....

i don't know what kind of stories you listen to

tragic

Man allegedly told toddler to stab "Mommy"

by News Channel 8's Kent Pierce

(Bridgeport-WTNH) _ Bridgeport police say a man stabbed the mother of a toddler several times and then told the child to do the same.
It started as an argument in their first floor apartment Saturday Night. Fermin Rodriguez, 21, accused his 17 year-old wife of cheating on him.
"According to the victim it had been a verbal dispute, then at around 12 midnight on the fourth he became violent," Capt. Lynn Kerwin, Bridgeport Police, said.
Police say Fermin Rodriguez started slashing his wife Keyschla Rodriguez with a steak knife, all right in front of the couple's one and a half year old daughter. ..........

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

more than two months later

the san francisco da files charges. it's about DAMN time

DA files charges in Yale choir beating case
(San Francisco-AP) _ The San Francisco district attorney has filed charges against two young men for their alleged role in the vicious beating attack against a visiting a choir group from Yale.
Arrest warrants have been issued for Richard Aicardi and Brian Dwyer. The New Year's Day assault left several of the young men from Yale severely injured.
According to court documents, the alleged assault took place after a party on New Year's Eve at a house in the city's Richmond District...............


they HAVE jobs, they just don't have insurance

instead of sending BILLIONS to iraq (and other places that do NOT warrant it - some do by the way) why not spend it on OUR OWN CHILDREN? health care AND education and NOW. we need it NOW


Insuring Connecticut's children
by News Channel 8's Mark Davis (Hartford-WTNH) _
There are thousands of uninsured children and leaders at both the state and federal level are calling for an expansion of the HUSKY health care program.
Sandy Prisk of East Hartford came to the Capitol today to explain that with three kids and four jobs between her and her husband, the HUSKY health care program is a necessity.
"It's one less thing that I need to worry about for my kids. I know that there's insurance and I can go to the doctor when they need to go to the doctor," said Prisk.
The importance of good health care for kids is apparently obvious to almost everyone. The New Haven based Connecticut Voices for Children group released a survey today that shows nearly 90% of the public wants uninsured children covered......



Monday, March 05, 2007

i am guessing

THIS is the reason the half door was SO crowded for brunch and lunch yesterday - one couldn't MOVE. people were waiting for tables. i've seen it crowded for brunch, but NOT like it was yesterday. good for hartford businesses!!!


Big East Tournament brings big money to Hartford
by News Channel 8's Jamie Muro

(Hartford-WTNH) _ The women's Big East Tournament is bringing smiles to basketball fans and business owners.
Tom Parker of Coach's Sports Bar and Grille says this weekend has been great for business.
"People are out and about. The city did a really good job promoting the event, they dropped ticket prices this year and after the game today, people just kept coming and coming and coming," said Parker............


i went to hall

and i was NO angel (still not) but i'd NEVER think of defacing property like this

Vandals deface a West Hartford school

(West Hartford-WTNH) _ Obscene messages were spray painted on the exterior of the Northwest Catholic High School and police say it stems from a rivalry with nearby William Hall High School.
Workers were attempting to remove the paint but had limited success and there are still images with 4-letter words on the building. A West Hartford police officer is still on the scene, patrolling the area in case the vandals decide to return...........


Sunday, March 04, 2007

from my left nutmeg

i too was wondering why the hell the democrats let da liebs give the democratic radio speech. they ASKED him???? wtf?????????????

they're really acting like a bunch of no-balls republicans

thanks mattw for bringing shays to our attention on this. NOT that it will do one bit of good. BUT WE will know in our hearts and the soldiers will know in THEIR hearts too

Chris Shays and Walter Reed

by mattw on Sat Mar 03, 2007 at 16:03:59 PM EST


Did anyone notice this? I did not notice this. Someone on the Courant's bulletin board pointed it out to me:
Mr. Lightman glosses over the fact that Chris Shays, who was not only the top Republican, but also that subcommittee's chairman during all the years that wounded veterans were subjected to such horrific treatment at the facility, did nothing to expose those abuses and did nothing to bring the situation to light.
Shays is a crafty son of a bitch, and despite being the top Republican on the committee, has avoided issuing a press release on the Walter Reed hearings. (However, while this has been in the news, he was awarded a "Humane Legislator of the Year" award, apparently for his work with the Blackwater widows.) He obviously doesn't want to draw attention to himself on this issue, because there's a pretty good chance that whatever gets thrown at him on Walter Reed is going to stick...........I want to say, as disappointed as I am that Lieberman delivered the Democratic radio response to the Walter Reed fiasco, I'm reminded
of an event where Shays and Lieberman had a lot of good things to say about one another, and I can't help but think that there's the beginning of a good story in this............

yeah, the mill rate is coming down

BUT the 'value' of my pop's house (he will be 80 this year and he is on a VERY fixed income) HAS ALMOST DOUBLED. bam!

.........."It's a major issue for the future of this community - how we handle these kinds of tax shifts and increases in values," Van Winkle said. "It's important to the strength of this community. It's not meant to be a community where we chase people away if you bought your house here, raised your family here and retired here. It's not to our interest to see those people have to move away from West Hartford."...........

Blue Back's Impact Felt Overtakes Westfarms On Town Grand List

By DANIEL P. JONES, Courant Staff Writer

WEST HARTFORD -- The still-under-construction Blue Back Square development has overtaken Westfarms mall as the town's top taxpayer, according to the new list of assessed values for property in town.Even before any part of Blue Back Square was complete, the development's assessed value as of Oct. 1 was $39.7 million, easily surpassing by $5 million the value of the portion of Westfarms - nearly a third - that is in town. .............

............In addition to the change in the Top 10 list, the assessed value of real estate in town grew in 2006 by 71 percent from the year before - an increase overwhelmingly due to a delayed state-mandated revaluation that was West Hartford's first in seven years...............

perhaps they WILL implement this though (keep your fingers crossed)

..........To address such issues, the town council is considering phasing in the effect of revaluation over a period of perhaps five years, and it is considering a property tax freeze for residents 70 and older who meet income eligibility requirements............

but what will happen to the younger people who have bought houses? or middle aged people? i can't wait to see that tax bill. i'm already steaming

Saturday, March 03, 2007

it's a GOOD idea

some protective orders against people OR animals will NEVER stop an abuser. we see the violence day after day (very recently in connecticut-a woman and her daughter were shot to death and then he killed himself). but it MAY save some pets AND people. some is better than NONE

let's do it connecticut. protect our animals as well as our people

Courts May Protect Pets Legislators Consider Adding Animals, Often Targets Of Abusers, To Protective Orders

By COLIN POITRAS, Courant Staff Writer

A family dog in the oven. A pet rabbit strangled in front of the kids. Bullets left on the fence at a horse ranch.Domestic violence counselors in Connecticut say abusers will stop at nothing to strike fear in the people they seek to hurt or control. Targeting the family pet is too often a tool that brings devastating results.But that may soon change. Following adoptions of similar bills last year in Maine, New York and Vermont, Connecticut lawmakers are considering a bill that would extend domestic violence restraining orders and protective orders to pets."A lot of victims of domestic violence are in horrible positions because abusers will make threats against their pets and carry them out," said Lisa Holden, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "It's a phenomenal way to scare the hell out of someone."Connecticut law allows individuals to seek restraining orders in civil court if they fear domestic violence or to obtain protective orders in criminal court if they are victims of domestic violence in a criminal case. ................

goodbye to timothy's. a hartford institution (with darn good food too)


i guess the times they are a changin'. it was time to go. less customers, neighborhood getting kind of iffy (it has been a bit iffy for MANY years. never stopped me from coming to the area though)

good luck with your future choices timothy!


FELICIA DEJESUS, of Hartford, pulls the chain to turn off the neon “Open” sign — for the final time — Friday afternoon at Timothy’s Restaurant on Zion Street in Hartford.The landmark eatery in the shadow of Trinity College has closed after 32 years in business. Owner Timothy Otte said changes in the restaurant business and the neighborhood prompted the decision to close. "I don’t know what I’ll do without this place,” DeJesus said. “This is like my family here.” (CLOE POISSON)





Timothy's Says Goodbye

By JEFFREY B. COHEN, Courant Staff Writer
Timothy Otte is taking the old meat cleaver, the art on the walls, and his parents' wedding table.The rest of the stuff at the Zion Street restaurant where he has, as one customer put it, been "captain of a ship of fools" for three decades, stays.
It's not like he has a choice, Otte said as he pounded chicken breasts and baked vanilla coconut cakes on Timothy's Restaurant's last day Friday. The place's new owner bought all of the stuff inside, too.But more to the point, as one customer finished her fifth "last lunch" at the restaurant and others took home last cookies and last cakes, Otte said he remains convinced that now is the perfect time to leave the restaurant, and its stuff, behind................

Friday, March 02, 2007

black and blue square (interview by JENNIFER WARNER COOPER)

of course i've already commented on ms cooper's interview with robert wienner, a rep for black and blue square which is being built in west hartford center.

jennifer asked some very good questions. mr wienner didn't answer 'em. he sure can dance around a subject like no one's bid-nez. i wonder if soul train is still on the air?

As Blue Back Rises A Managing Partner Discusses Traffic, Aesthetic Issues And Time Frame For Earning A Profit

By JENNIFER WARNER COOPER, Special To The Courant

Robert Wienner, of JDA Development Co., is a managing partner of Blue Back Square in West Hartford. The 56-year-old Avon resident spoke about the development, which is due to open this fall with a mix of stores, office space and housing.Q. West Hartford has borrowed $48 million to invest in Blue Back Square. How do you see the town recouping that?

A: It is kind of a misnomer to say that the town made an investment in this project. The town spent $48 million on $48 million worth of new public improvements, all of which were needed, and the two parking garages are less than half of that;...............

n r b q


yup - TOGETHER AGAIN april 27th at the iron horse in northampton


Tech Tags:

Thursday, March 01, 2007

from cool justice report - the connecticut book awards

i didn't know this existed. sounds wonderful.

i'll have to tell my friend mark about this (for NEXT year). he's writing a book. i got to read the first four chapters this morning. it's NON-fiction and it's an ugly (yet inspiring and ultimately uplifting) story.

07 Connecticut Book Awards

Call for Entries The Connecticut Center for the Book at Hartford Public Library will present the sixth annual Connecticut Book Awards to recognize and honor those authors, illustrators, and designers who represent the best books in or about our state. It is the mission of the Connecticut Center for the Book to celebrate books, writers and readers who engender and sustain the life of the imagination and to highlight authors, illustrators, printers, publishers, and the literary heritage of the State of Connecticut. We are an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress..........

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

congratulations lisa and matthew

AND the courant too!!!

the award was VERY much deserved. your series of articles was amazing!

'Hartford Courant' Wins Selden Ring for Investigative Reporting

By Joe Strupp Published: February 27, 2007 10:30 AM ET
NEW YORK Lisa Chedekel and Matthew Kauffman of The Hartford Courant have won the prestigious Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting for their series about the U.S. military's recruitment and deployment of mentally ill soldiers in Iraq. The $35,000 annual prize, presented by the School of Journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, recognizes the year's "outstanding work in investigative journalism that led to direct results.""Beginning in May 2006, the Courant published a series of articles detailing how the U.S. military is sending troops with serious psychological problems into Iraq and is keeping soldiers in combat even after superiors have been alerted to suicide warnings and other signs of mental illness," a statement from the award's judges said. "The Hartford reporters documented the tragic consequences, including suicides among unstable recruits. As a result of the Courant's reporting, Congress has mandated new mental health screening for recruits and set limits on how long troubled soldiers can be required to stay in a war zone." ..............

good news

for connecticut veterans coming back from iraq and afghanistan. REALLY good news. the state is going to arrange counseling (mandatory) upon their return.

counseling will be available for the familes as well.

way to go connecticut!!!

Coping with emotional trauma after serving in war

by News Channel 8's Sara Welch

(New Britain-WTNH) _ Our military troops put their lives on the line, but when they return home some are having trouble adjusting to civilian life. More and more are coping with the stress of war long after life on the battlefield.
The scenes and sounds of war can play over and over in the minds of service members long after happy homecomings.
"We saw one guy burn to death. When he burned he was down to his bones when we got the fire put out," said "Joe", a Connecticut reservist wants to remain anonymous because of the stigma associated with mental health problems. He still struggles with what he saw in Iraq........


.................."I've been waiting almost two years before I get my first appointment with the VA to talk about PTSD to see if I have it or just talk to someone to see if I can control it or do something about it." An administrator at the VA tells News Channel 8 the average wait is much shorter than that.
Mike Fox, a Vietnam veteran who has PTSD, is skeptical and he's concerned about returning vets getting caught up in red tape.
"I went through enough and those of my generation went through enough," he said. "For another generation to go through the same thing is a sin."..........


............But now a partnership between the state and the VA will ensure that members of the Connecticut Guard and some reserve units receive mandatory individual mental health screenings upon their return.
"We will remind them three months later and that's when they say this is not as easy as I thought it was to get readjusted."............


.......Beginning next month the state is going to be providing troops and their families free mental health counseling from a network of private providers.
For more information visit http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/http://www.militaryonesource.com/http://www.va.gov/
or contact the Connecticut Veteran's Centers in Wethersfield, New Haven and Norwich at (860) 563-2320
...................


Tuesday, February 27, 2007

ibm and lesbians (an interesting case)

in case you want to know how i feel about gay couples who want to get married, I THINK THEY SHOULD INDEED BE ALLOWED. they should have the SAME rights as everyone else. don't give me the old, 'yeah and what if a man wanted to marry his dog' argument. i don't even GET that one. what does that have to do with anything? a gay person OR a gay couple does NOT have the ability to "TURN" someone else gay. you ARE gay or you ARE NOT gay. simple. (except for anne heche that is). why should gay couples have to worry about things such as inheritance or custody of children (in the case of a death of one of the partners)? it's sad we are not advanced enough to treat EVERYONE equally

IBM Heirs Challenge Lesbian Adoption In Court

AP) PORTLAND, Maine In their 14-year relationship, Patricia Spado and Olive Watson spent only five nights apart. They lived in New York, spent summers in Maine, and shared the more practical pieces of a life together - a home, a joint bank account.But in a time long before civil unions or gay marriage, Watson wanted to ensure that her partner would be taken care of when she was no longer there. So, at a small courthouse in coastal Maine, she adopted Spado.Fifteen years later, the adoption is being challenged in courts in Connecticut and Maine as Olive Watson's family parcels out the family fortune - and contests their newfound heir.
The case, according to gay activists, is rare and offers an example of how far same-sex couples have gone to attain financial and inheritance protections that married couples take for granted........

the old, can i have change switch-a-roo

i've seen this done and not know it was being done until AFTER. i know now....

they're (usually) very good at it.

Scam Hits West Hartford Stores

By DANIEL P. JONES, The Hartford Courant


WEST HARTFORD -- Police are warning local stores to watch out for two men who last week scammed Shaws, Whole Foods and Wild Oats markets out of $1,200 in cash.The two men, possibly driving a silver Ford Taurus, stole $400 from each of the food stores Friday, carrying out a deception involving a request to exchange small bills for larger ones, police said.

"Hopefully the businesses will keep an eye out for these guys and give us a call if they see anything like this," Capt. Lori Coppinger said Monday...........

uh-oh

da liebs and mikey are having a lil' spat!

Bloomberg Criticizes Lieberman

By DEVLIN BARRETT, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The lovefest between New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Joe Lieberman ended Monday. Like many relationships, it fell apart in a fight over money.Just months ago, Bloomberg was one of the senator's fondest political friends as Lieberman fought to keep his seat in Connecticut despite losing the Democratic primary. Bloomberg personally campaigned for Lieberman, raised money for him, and even sent political operatives to help.
What a difference a bill makes.On Monday, Bloomberg wrote a "Dear Joe" letter -- actually, it began "Dear Chairman Lieberman" -- to spell out his frustration with homeland security legislation recently approved by the Senate committee headed by Lieberman, who is officially an independent aligned with the Democrats............

Monday, February 26, 2007

i guess i should pay more attention

i didn't know there was going to be a rally (or gathering i guess) in west hartford. i would have attended.

Connecticut Opposes the War With Many Voices

by Christine Stuart

Hundreds of Connecticut residents gathered Saturday afternoon to voice their opposition to the war and President George W. Bush’s planned increase in troops levels.
While some may say they were preaching to the choir, Windsor Councilman Al Simon said “it’s the choir that leads the singing.” .........


.........Congressman John B. Larson, D-1, who joined an estimated 50 residents in Windsor Saturday said the public has found its voice and now it’s time for Congress to find theirs. Click here to see what infuriated Senator Chris Dodd in Ken Krayeske’s report from Hartford and keep reading for more of the discussion in West Hartford and Windsor, two of the more than two dozen towns that held meetings organized by Connecticut Opposes the War.........

the old state house in hartford

(where i have been many a time. last time was for the advocate 'best of' awards a couple of years ago. we had a BLAST!) may be boarded up in june of this year. we CANNOT let that happen. it's a part of our state. it's our HISTORY

Historical society looks to state to take over Old State House

(Hartford-AP) _ Connecticut's Old State House in downtown Hartford is looking for financial help to stay open.
It just had a renovation costing more than $3 million, but unless the state comes to the rescue, visitors won't be able walk the halls of the 211-year-old Federal-style building. The Connecticut Historical Society took over operations at the Old State House about four years ago. It says it will begin boarding up the 1796 National Historic Landmark on June 30th.
Historical society officials last week appealed to state lawmakers, urging them to transfer ownership of the Old State House from the city of Hartford to the state of Connecticut. ..........


old state house

Sunday, February 25, 2007

more on the meridan humane society

AND a link to another cool animal cause from pedigree (thanks anonymous for the links)
AND a special shout out to the businesses helping the shelter (especially carolyn douglas)

Community pitches in to secure the future of the Meriden Humane Society

by News Channel 8's Tricia Taskey

(Meriden-WTNH) _ The financially strapped Meriden Humane Society is getting a helping hand from a local business owners.
Tyrone is a lucky pup with a loving home and his grooming on Saturday helped other dogs and cats who are not so lucky.
The primping Carolyn Douglas did on Saturday at "For Your Paws Only" helped the Meriden Humane Society. The no-kill shelter is in danger of closing if they do not raise $80,000 in the next few months.
"I thought about what I can do and Saturday is my busiest day so I'll give as much as I can," said Douglas...........

............You can also mail a check made payable to the Meriden Humane Society to 311 Murdock Avenue Meriden, CT 06450...........

a link to contribute to the meridan humane society

and

a link to pedigree pet foods. for every 22 lb bag of pedigree dog food you buy, they will match the donation! there is also a link to adopt a pet.