i WILL stop in west hartford center to see this

and honor our fallen heroes. if you're in the area, before or after you go to one of those 'trendy' west hartford joints, DO stop by the wall. please. honor those who gave for YOUR safety

 

Vietnam Memorial Replica Goes On Display At West Hartford Town Hall

 By  VANESSA DE LA TORRE

WEST HARTFORD — —

                                                                   The wind Thursday morning whipped  at the line of  small American flags that had just been staked  on the town hall lawn.   The sky was cloudy and rain seemed imminent.

Nearby, in the town parking lot on South Main Street, was a flatbed  truck that had arrived in town earlier with a police and motorcycle  escort. It carried  the 74 black panels of the Moving Wall, a half-size  replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington  D.C.

Inscribed on the Wall's panels are the names of more  than 58,000  American service members killed or missing in action in  the Vietnam  War..............

 

pic: Members of the Leatherneck Riders, a motorcycle group of U.S. Marine  Corps veterans including ,1st Sgt Dennis Bailey, Aaron Gray, Walt  Kedzior and Billy Betzner, help erect The Moving Wall, the traveling  half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the lawn in front  of West Hartford Town Hall.  There will be a candlelight vigil at the  wall at 8:45 p.m. Saturday.  The wall moves on to upstate New York on  Monday.                  (Cloe  Poisson, Hartford Courant / June 16, 2010)

i have highlighted my personal favorite part of this story

Enfield Official, Husband Arrested In Biker Gang Sweep

By SHAWN R. BEALS, sbeals@courant.com

ENFIELD — —

A member of the Thompsonville Fire Commission and her husband were arrested Tuesday morning as part of a massive takedown of alleged American Outlaw Association motorcycle gang members.

Clifford and Kelly Hemmeler, of 10 Hartford Ave., were arrested on several firearm, drug and child endangerment charges, said Police Chief Carl Sferrazza. Kelly Hemmeler, a fire commissioner since last year, is also a founding member of Voices for Thompsonville and a district captain for the town Republican party...............

pic: Kelly Hemmeler, left, and her husband Clifford were arrested Tuesday morning as part of a massive takedown of alleged American Outlaw Association motorcycle gang members. They were arrested on several firearm, drug and child endangerment charges, said Police Chief Carl Sferrazza. Kelly Hemmeler, a fire commissioner since last year, is also a founding member of Voices for Thompsonville and a district captain for the town Republican party. (Enfield Police Department / June 16, 2010) 

here's a link to help jonathen metz

help jon metz/jonathan metz recovery fund



insurance will pay only a portion of the over $100,000 a prosthetic arm will cost.


pic: from the website linked above

and this was also on the site: Donations that surpass Jon’s needs, if any, will be given to a nonprofit organization providing prosthetic care for those in need.

 

west hartford, you made yet ANOTHER mistake

are you going to vote NEXT  year to increase taxes again? what about the year after and the  year after that. isn't ANYONE but me remembering how we were told black and blue square (if approved and built) would LOWER our taxes? why didn't it? why are they HIGHER NOW? why are our services being cut?

why?

why does the town have enough money to build those STUPID EFFING AND DANGEROUS islands (on asylum and even steele road) and have to raise our taxes? i know why, perhaps one of the tens of people involved in accidents caused by those UNSAFE ISLANDS is suing the town. i know i sure as shite would be. 

West Hartford Voters Approve Budget

By MATTHEW KIERNAN, mkiernan@courant.com

 

WEST HARTFORD — —

The town's $216.7 million budget was approved Tuesday in a referendum in which over 20 percent of voters participated.

"I'm glad that the town appreciated the effort," Mayor Scott Slifka said of the bipartisan effort of the town council when it assembled the budget this spring.

The unofficial tally was 4,534-3,122, and turnout was 20.58 percent. Voters in 15 of the town's 20 polling districts approved the budget; it was rejected in five districts.............

 

here's a listing of the 2010

connecticut farmer's markets

pic: (Ross Taylor / Hartford Courant)

and this page allows you to search by town

more on the amazing story of jonathan metz

at the courant link below, there's even a copy of the 911 call mr metz' friend luca digregorio made to the west hartford police. dang.

my ABSOLUTE best wishes to you.


West Hartford Man Who Tried To Cut Off His Own Arm Is Doing Well After Surgery, Doctors Say
His Arm Was Stuck In His Furnace For Three Days

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY, cdempsey@courant.com

HARTFORD — —

The doctors who spent more than two hours operating Friday on Jonathan Metz used words such as "amazing," "inner strength" and "courage" in describing their patient.

Metz, who cut off most of his arm after it became wedged in his furnace, is an "amazing individual," said Dr. William Marshall of St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. "He's got an incredible personality as well as a will to live."

The 31-year-old West Hartford resident is doing well after the surgeons closed the wound at the amputation site, Marshall and Dr. Scott Ellner said in a telephone interview. From about 7:15 to 9:30 a.m., the doctors closed the wound with muscle and other tissue, they said...............

man, this is some story

of courage and i'm sure fear and goddess only knows what else. i cannot even imagine doing what mr metz HAD to do.

jonathan, i wish you all the best. i cannot believe what you had to go through. you are through it now. there will have to be some adjustments made, but i'm certain you (and portia) will get by JUST fine. (and a shout out to your friend luca too)

West Hartford Man Tried To Cut Off His Own Arm
Arm Stuck Under The Furnace For Three Days

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY and JULIE STAGIS, cdempsey@courant.com

WEST HARTFORD — —

Jonathan Metz was on the wet floor of his basement for two days, his left arm wedged under a furnace.

He was in and out of consciousness, but Metz, 31, knew what he had to do.

He had to cut his arm off. Metz's arm was decaying from a lack of blood flow, going into a "gangrenous state," Dr. Scott Ellner, a trauma doctor at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, said Thursday. The infection couldn't be allowed to spread.

"It was the right thing to do," Ellner said. "This man saved his own life.".....

yet ANOTHER stupid connecticut criminal

helpful hint: when you're on a court recess (being in court to answer larceny charges at that!)
1) DO NOT GO OUTSIDE AND BREAK INTO CARS AND STEAL STUFF THEN CARRY IT BACK INTO THE COURTROOM
2) DO NOT GO TO YOUR LOCAL PACKY, BUY SOME VODKA AND DRINK IT THEN GO BACK INTO THE COURTROOM WREAKING OF BOOZE


During Court Break, Hebron Man Arrested Again
By DAVID OWENS, dowens@courant.com

VERNON — —

A Hebron man who was at Rockville Superior Court Wednesday to answer a larceny charge for stealing a GPS unit then trying to sell it back to its owner decided to use a court recess to buy a bottle of Vodka, drink the entire bottle in front of the courthouse, then break into cars parked in front of the courthouse, police said.

Among the items that police said Thomas Peno, 51, of Wellswood Road, took from unlocked cars were a cell phone and keys.

When Peno returned to court, judicial marshals took him into custody for being drunk and disorderly, police said. They then realized he matched the description of the man who was seen breaking into cars................

a giant giant giant WTF???????

blackwater in salem CONNECTICUT? yeah, just what we need. more guns. oh yeah and that prince gatsu piedi of a man, erik prince is selling blackwater xe (a pile o' shite by any other name..............). c'mon salem, do you really want ANYTHING to do with blackwater (and what they've done and what they will do????)

Coming soon: Blackwater Pro Shops with indoor firing ranges.

By Tanya Somanader
Since its contractors infamously shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians, Blackwater has rebranded itself, trying to insist that it’s a reformed company. It even changed its name to “Xe” last year. But at this year’s NRA convention, ThinkProgress discovered that the corporation was still marketing the Blackwater brand on merchandise like baseball hats, shot glasses, beach towels, and guns, which could be bought online. Now, the site Soldier Systems reports that Blackwater enthusiasts will be able to buy their goods in persons, at two new stores opening in Fayetteville, NC and Salem, CT:..........

Blackwater: The Retail Store
By Max Fisher
Blackwater, the private military firm that perhaps ranks among the world's most scandal-ridden companies, has decided to go into the retail business. After such scandals as bribing Iraqi officials, stealing U.S. weapons, and killing innocent civilians, the company has taken the opportunity to expand from its core business of killing people into the new field of selling people things. The Blackwater Pro Shops, which will sell the same quality good available at its online store, are planned for Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Salem, Connecticut. It goes without saying that both stores will contain a firing range........

pic: from the first (thinkprogress) link

this would be pretty cool for the town of windsor

it's right near where i work as well. the space is huge (of the former INDOOR racing track) and it's just going to waste. i sure do hope this movie comes to fruition

Director Plans To Film New Movie In Windsor

By ERIC GERSHON, egershon@courant.com

WINDSOR — —

The director of the 1988 film "Bull Durham" said Friday that he wants to shoot a boxing film in Connecticut using a former indoor motorbike racing venue on Day Hill Road as the primary sound stage.

Ron Shelton, who directed Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon in "Bull Durham," said he hopes to begin shooting "Pound for Pound," a film set in Detroit, by the fall.

"I can find Detroit in Hartford, I can find Detroit in Bridgeport," Shelton said in an interview at 1001 Day Hill Road, the shopping plaza where Mototown USA operated.

The film would be made for $15 million or less, said Shelton, who did not name any cast members.

If Shelton reaches final terms with Leslie Greif, a veteran Hollywood producer, and his partners, it could prove to be a coup for Tommy DeFranzo, the builder and entrepreneur who owns the former Mototown site. DeFranzo is one of Greif's partners.............

you want my answer? no. no is my answer

without hesitation. without guilt. without a second throught. NO.

abusers will always abuse. there is no screening as this article goes on to describe. there is no cure. i don't care about being pc. there is NO cure for an abuser other than locking them up and throwing away the key. it's something within their ugly disease infested souls. it's the need for power and control (not unlike someone who 'sexually' assaults).

Should Abusers Get A Second Chance?

By ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER, alevinbecker@courant.com

Selami Ozdemir got a second chance.

Instead of facing charges that he abused his wife, the West Haven man got a deal: If he completed a 9-week course on family violence, the charges would be erased from his record. No prosecution, no jail time.

But that's not what happened.

Nearly a month before his first class was to start, Ozdemir abused his wife again. When he got out of custody, he returned home and shot her four times before killing himself.

The case has led to calls for changes in the way the state deals with domestic violence offenders, including adding more slots to the family violence education program so offenders do not go months without counseling or supervision, as Ozdemir did.

But State Victim Advocate Michelle Cruz has raised a different concern: Why was Ozdemir given a second chance at all?

The family violence education program Ozdemir was to take is intended for people deemed at low or moderate risk of reoffending.

Yet Ozdemir did. So, allegedly, did Jose Lacouture, a West Hartford man who was admitted to the program after a domestic violence arrest in 2008. Last summer, he was charged with killing his wife............

there was a domestic incident in town the other day

where a man was arrested 3 times in 48 hours. i don't want to link to the articles, i don't want to print names. i think there are kids involved.

i just want to thank the west hartford police and i want to thank the powers that be, that made the bail so high the third time (i know it DID get reduced to 185,000 to make it MUCH EASIER for the alleged perp to get out - hey thanks to his pop and his sis and his attorney. but the police still did an outstanding job here. i fault the courts with the lowered bail. )

THREE TIMES he was caught bothering his wife (i'm being nice by using the word bother).

one would hope ANY father or ANY sister would not want to see someone be abused or threatened or hurt or have any sort of violence committed against them.................

i haven't been there in years

but all of my friends go all the time. they run, they hike, they bike. it's lovely and peaceful (well not so much any more, it's rather crowded and that's why i stopped going. when i was in high school, that was THE place to go. plus it was always almost deserted).

i don't know anything about the lawsuit. i don't know where the barrier was (but hell, i KNOW there are barriers and gates all over that reservoir) and i don't know what injuries were sustained. i cannot speak to that (although i CAN say when one 'mountain' bikes one expects a bit more than smooth sailing

i just don't ever want them to close the west hartford reservoir to the public. it IS a jewel

One of CT's Jewels May Soon Be Off Limits

By AMANDA RAUS

Cyclists both young and old use the 80 miles of trails along the West Hartford Reservoir to ride through nature.

"This is a wonderful place that offers a lot of variety of trails for different skill levels, different people and it's a very nice setting, it's peaceful, and it just has a lot to offer," said Ron Bonofiglio of Tolland.

The trails could soon be off limits. The Metropolitan District (MDC) was ordered to shell out $2.9 million to Maribeth Blonski, because she slammed into a barrier while riding. Now, the company is worried about other liability lawsuits.

"I feel somewhat upset that someone would have to find a reason to bring a lawsuit against it, because I think the organization has done a fine job sharing the facilities with everybody and making sure it's a safe area," said Rick Picard of West Hartford............

some VERY good news

again, i'm not going to get too excited because i know what happened between lamont and da LIEbs

but i sure am OVERJOYED to see blumenthal trouncing that steamin' pile o' (VERY RICH) shite known as linder 'lets show stripper-type women getting beaten up on tv because that's a good way to educate young people' mcmahon

Buoyed by a poll, Blumenthal still steps carefully toward Memorial Day

By Mark Pazniokas

..............Earlier, Quinnipiac University gave Blumenthal good news: Its latest poll found that a majority of residents believed he misspoke, not lied, when referring to service in Vietnam. He leads Republican Linda McMahon by 19 percentage points among military households and 25 points overall..............


(i couldn't find picture credits)

stupid connecticut crime

you just CANNOT make this shite up

and dang, what's a grrrl gotta do to get a picture?

Man In Diaper Charged With Breach Of Peace

By JOSEPH WENZEL IV

TRATFORD — A 41-year old man in a diaper was arrested Tuesday after he asked a grandmother to wipe him, police said.

Thomas Wellington of Vought Place got out of his Ford Bronco at the C-Town Plaza, at 360 Boston Ave., around 4:30 p.m. wearing only diaper and sucking on pacifier, Capt. Kenneth Bakalar said. He approached a woman with three grandchildren and asked her for baby wipes, Bakalar said..........

Stratford man seen wanderin in a diaper charged

• By: Erin Cox

Stratford, Conn. (WTNH) - A 41-year old Stratford man is facing charges after he was seen allegedly wandering around a parking lot wearing only a diaper and sucking a pacifier.

Click here to read the police report

An officer reports finding Thomas Wellington parked in the lot sitting in his SUV and seeing baby pacifiers all over the vehicle. "When he questioned him about what happened he really didn't answer," said Capt. Kenneth Bakalar of the Stratford Police Department. "When he asked why he was wearing a diaper he said he had problems with his intestines."................

to the family and friends of sgt edwin rivera

i am so very sorry for your loss. he sounded like one hell of a special soldier and special man.

my thoughts are with you

 

Connecticut Soldier Dies From Injuries Suffered In Afghanistan

By RINKER BUCK


Last summer, six months before he was deployed to Afghanistan for the second time, infantry Sgt. Edwin Rivera sat in his car in the driveway of his parents' house in Waterford and explained to his mother why he was returning to war.

It was the sad faces of the children that he had seen in Afghanistan during his first tour there in 2006, he told his mother, faces that still reminded him of why American soldiers were there.

"When the U.S. soldiers drive by," Rivera told his mother Gladys that night, "the children will scramble like mad in the dust just to get thrown a simple pencil from us. They don't even have pencils. I was born for this, it's my duty, to protect those families over there."

Now there is chilling immediacy to her memories, for Rivera has paid a high price for returning to those Afghan faces.................

how wonderful IS this?

i read about this the other day and wanted to post something. so of course the courant had a piece a few days later (why are we ALWAYS behind?)

Mark Twain Autobiography To Be Released In November

pic: Mark Twain, seen in 1903, lived in Hartford for two decades and wrote most of his major works here. He spent the last years of his life in Redding. (File)


here's something from boing boing:



Mark Twain's autobiography to be finally published, 100 years after his death

Cory Doctorow

.................The creator of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and some of the most frequently misquoted catchphrases in the English language left behind 5,000 unedited pages of memoirs when he died in 1910, together with handwritten notes saying that he did not want them to hit bookshops for at least a century.

That milestone has now been reached, and in November the University of California, Berkeley, where the manuscript is in a vault, will release the first volume of Mark Twain's autobiography. The eventual trilogy will run to half a million words, and shed new light on the quintessentially American novelist...

"He had doubts about God, and in the autobiography, he questions the imperial mission of the US in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. He's also critical of [Theodore] Roosevelt, and takes the view that patriotism was the last refuge of the scoundrel. Twain also disliked sending Christian missionaries to Africa. He said they had enough business to be getting on with at home: with lynching going on in the South, he thought they should try to convert the heathens down there."

In other sections of the autobiography, Twain makes cruel observations about his supposed friends, acquaintances and one of his landladies.......................

a very interesting piece on that piece o' steamin' shite

known as linda mcmahon. he has a few other postings on her as well. i didn't have time to go through his blog like i should have (to be better informed is what i mean) BUT let's just say the king and i are diametrically opposed on almost everything EXCEPT it appears, linda!


from
the king's view

Connecticut Convention Hell - Republicans should hang their heads low

The Republican Party boasts of being the party of principle and open process. Yet on Friday night at the 2010 Connecticut Republican Party Convention, I and many others witnessed behavior that brought shame on the party, its officials, and its Chairman - Chris Healy. The Linda McMahon campaign along side of State Central officials worked endlessly to threaten, intimidate, and force delegates to switch sides and support Linda McMahon over Rob Simmons. Many of these delegates switched from Peter Schiff to Linda McMahon after it was clear that Schiff was unable to barely get to a quarter of the support needed for a win.................

flowers at

the half door

may 22, 2010

i didn't read the story

there is NO need to. just get a load of the headline:

Search For Monkey Called Off