someone i know

was getting gas at a station in hartford the other night/morning (in the WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE hours). she works at a bar so that's what she was doing out and about at that hour. two friends were with her but they were inside getting chicken (yeah, it's a gas station/chicken joint. go figure). somehow she had to back her car up a couple of feet because the pump she was at wasn't working. her back window was frosty and someone had pulled in in back of her. she tapped their car. three young men jumped out and went to town on her (yelling only so far but what they were yelling, i won't even print). she calmly explained she had insurance and any damage done to their car would be taken care of. she called her friends on her cell phone and told them to get outside asap because the situation was escalating . the three men from the car assaulted one of her friends. they coldcocked him and knocked him out, then when he was down, they kicked him in the head. the three men left their car there and tore off running. the woman i know called the hartford police. (now, this is all hearsay. i was NOT there, but guess what? i BELIEVE HER). the three men must have called 'the aunt' because 'the aunt' showed up at the gas station and said it was HER car and could the woman claim 'the aunt' was driving. HELL NO said the woman. she was going to press charges. when the hartford police officer (i believe it was only one) got there, he said this happens all the time and either he didn't have time to investigate or he was far too busy to investigate. 

they have the license number

they have 'the aunt'

they have three witnesses (the woman i know and her two friends, one of whom had the shite kicked out of him)

they may have video of the attack. i don't know if the gas station/chicken joint has video going (but the cop did NOT check)

well, to the woman i know DO NOT LET THIS GO. CALL pedro segarra call daryl roberts. it is the JOB of the police to not only PREVENT CRIME BUT TO INVESTIGATE CRIME THAT ALREADY HAS BEEN COMMITTED. do NOT NOT NOT let this go at all. this isn't right. this isn't just. 

and one wonders why hartford is dying (yes, i do believe it is)

and this in the courant this morning
an interactive map of 2010 hartford crime stats

charles kaman will be missed

i didn't know him, but i did meet him a couple of times (through events). man, putting the helicopters aside, fidelco AND ovation! you go charlie!

(i drive by kaman on my way to and from work each day. every time i see one of those birds up in the sky, i'll think of him)

Charles H. Kaman, Helicopter Pioneer, Dies At 91
 By JANICE PODSADA The Hartford Courant

Charles H. Kaman, the brilliant helicopter pioneer who founded the company that bears his name at age 26 and later launched the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation and developed Ovation guitars, died Monday.

Kaman, a longtime resident of Farmington, died after a long illness at Duncaster in Bloomfield, his home for several years. He was 91. The cause of death was not specified.

Kaman was one of a small group of mid-20th-century inventors, including Igor Sikorsky and H. Joseph Gerber, who shaped Connecticut industry through a combination of technological advancements and business acumen.

The eager engineer who graduated at the top of his class from Catholic University of America in 1940 got his start at United Aircraft's Hamilton Standard division working on propellers, where he rose quickly. There he met and was inspired by Sikorsky, whose business was also part of United Aircraft (now United Technologies Corp.)..............

pic: In this August 27, 1997 file photo, Charles Kaman, founder president and CEO of Kaman Corporation stands beside the latest Kaman helicopter now in prduction, the K-MAX aerial truck. In the background hovers an SH-2 Seasprite. The older, refurbushed Seasprites are now being sold internationally and Kaman hopes the market demand might reopen production lines. (Tony Bacewicz)

i HATE to be the bearer of bad news.............

but you KNEW this was coming

Up To 10 Inches Of Snow For Wednesday; More Expected Saturday

a shout out to the

 hartford denim company!!!

i heard the following on npr radio the other day and was very happy! i know dave (and i've met marshall, but don't know him very well). dave is a cool dude and i  know how very excited he and they were to start this company. i know the pride he shows. i know how hard they all work. i've seen the jeans and touched the jeans and they are VERY well made.

Hartford Blue Jeans, Made By Hand
By Catie Talarski

It's not uncommon to see men in suits walking around downtown Hartford - but the city’s role as the Insurance capital has been slowly fading.  So what’s next? A group of young men are hoping Hartford might become the new capital of fashion.  As part of our small business project, WNPRs Catie Talarski reports how the men are doing their part. One stitch at a time.

Walking into the workshop of the Hartford Denim Company, three things stand out.
 Denim, Leather, and Beards.

Marshall Deming laughs, “I was told I would be out of the club if I didn’t grow a beard”

The impressive amount of unruly facial hair is worn by Marshall Deming, Dave Marcoux, and Luke Davis.  They certainly don't look like the typical downtown businessmen...................

pic: chion wolf
here's a link to a TON of photos by chion wolf: Hartford Denim Company

take just one moment to look at these photos

you won't be sorry. it will start your sunday off JUST right. i promise 

for the love of dog
By

Mark Mirko

In photographing people with their pets I have seen relationships between friends, workmates, companions and family members. Dogs and cats seem to dominate the pet landscape but, of course, the range of species people choose to call pets can be as varied as the situations we find ourselves in with these sublime beings. These images are just a small selection from circumstances between people and their pets that I have been fortunate to witness during the past 10-years as a Courant photographer...............

 

 

06.01.2010 - West Hartford, CT - With a painting he made of the Buddha behind him, Alan Schiffer comforts his dog Molly after she was barking at people at the door of the West Hartford Art League studio on Raymond Road. Schiffer, a clinical psychologist, said he started coming to the class about three months ago because painting was something he always wanted to try. Art instructor Deb Wadsworth, who teaches Schiffer's class, said she invited him to bring Molly after he left her outside when he first started coming to the class. "They were inseperable," she said, " adding that none of the other students seemed to mind.

 

 

 

 

 

The Cool Justice Report: MORE FREE SPEECH VIOLATIONS IN ENFIELD, CT ... USA...

The Cool Justice Report: MORE FREE SPEECH VIOLATIONS IN ENFIELD, CT ... USA...: "Censorship News Roundup by CT Library Association FACEBOOK Page: Stop the Enfield Leadership From Censoring our Library! NEW CHAPTERS ..."

an open letter to hartford mayor pedro segarra

this is a coincidence. just yesterday (after days and days and days of headaches driving the streets of hartford), i decided i was going to write to mayor pedro segarra. i have NEVER in my LONG life seen hartford streets such a mess. i'm not just talking side streets here. i'm talking farmington avenue. i personally witnessed traffic in the west end WORSE then i have ever seen it. farmington avenue backed up in BOTH directions at 3:00 pm? no. it's unheard of. sisson aveue? A GIANT mess. it's not plowed properly. hence all sorts of cars that are parked there are jutting out into the road because the sides of the road were NEVER PLOWED. HENCE only one lane of traffic (FOR BOTH DIRECTIONS) can move. when one way moves, the other has to stop. it wouldn't be bad if it was a teeny tiny street, BUT IT'S GOT A MAJOR HIGHWAY EXIT AND ENTRANCE right there. PLUS it's got a fire station. yeah, it's nice for the firefighters when they get a call.  mayor, I DEMAND YOU DO SOMETHING. #1, if cars are parked on the road and there is a parking ban TOW THE CARS IMMEDIATELY. then plow. PLOW PLOW AND PLOW. oh please, hartford has a history of the most horrid snow removal in the cosmos. sure, it pre-dated you by tons. i don't care. now YOU have something YOU can do about it. JUST DO IT. oh and while you're at it, have the police ticket (and ticket heavily) EVERYONE who doesn't clear their sidewalks (a LOT of businesses too). there are a LOT of people in the west end with wheelchairs, motorized scooters, sightless, elderly and on and on. i HAVE my eyes and my legs and i can't maneuver around those walks. what are THEY doing to get around one has to wonder.

and to the stupid arse people getting on and off 84 at sission.........................TAKE WEST BOULEVARD or another way. YOU SEE how effed up sisson and then farmington is. TAKE ANOTHER ROUTE. why would i have to tell you this? you can't figure it out yourself?

 i WAS going to go out later today but i dare not venture out to the west end. i'm having severe distress just thinking about it. i WILL be out and about tomorrow though. i can only imagine..................

pic: A car maneuvers around a snow bank on Church Street in downtown Hartford Thursday as traffic continues to be snarled around the city from the huge pile-ups of snow, which are blocking whole lanes of traffic and making it difficult to see oncoming cars. (Rick Hartford, Hartford Courant / January 20, 2011)

Snow Buildup In Hartford Causes Headaches For Commuters
By JENNA CARLESSO, jcarlesso@courant.com

HARTFORD — —

Driving to work has become a headache for Jay Hyne.

His usual brisk, 15-minute commute from West Hartford to the city's downtown has more than tripled since last Wednesday's snowstorm as high snow banks narrow key arteries and obscure vision at intersections.

Some streets have only one clear lane, Hyne said, causing bottlenecks that back up traffic for miles."It's very frustrating," said Hyne, who works on Main Street as a law clerk for a federal judge. "No one can make a left turn without holding everyone else up."

More than a week after the storm — and two days after the state was hit with sleet and freezing rain — municipalities were still dealing with the aftermath. Snow-clogged local roads have caused backups that stretch onto interstates during morning and afternoon commutes...........

 

and here's hartford's snow removal plan for the 21st it's in pdf by the way. but you don't have to open it. it says they're gonna do a bang up job

thank the goddess for some GOOD news

here da LIEbs, let me get the door for ya!
bye bye

U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman Won't Run For Re-Election, Political Insiders And An Aide Say
By JON LENDER, jlender@courant.com
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman has decided not to seek a fifth term in 2012, after seeing his popularity drop in polls in recent years, political insiders and a Lieberman aide said Tuesday — and those sources say that the Democrat-turned-independent will make it official at a press conference Wednesday in Stamford.
 
Lieberman's Senate press secretary, Erika Masonhall, would not say Tuesday what Lieberman's decision would be, issuing a statement saying only: "After many thoughtful conversations with family and friends over the last several months, Sen. Lieberman made a decision about his future over the holidays, which he plans to announce on Wednesday."

However, "you can bet the farm" that Lieberman won't run again, said a Democratic insider who is close to the 22-year Senate veteran.
............... 

Lieberman will not run in 2012, adviser says

By Dan Balz and Paul Kane

Washington Post Staff Writers  
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee who won reelection to the Senate in 2006 as an independent, plans to announce Wednesday that he will retire at the end of his term, according to an aide. Once a stalwart member of the Democratic caucus and a leader in the party's centrist wing, Lieberman (Conn.) has spent most of the past four years in partial exile - voting with Democrats on organizational matters and some domestic issues while siding with Republicans on key issues of national security. ............
 

this is my friend spiro

unfortunately i just found out he was featured in java in the courant. i didn't even see the print copy!

anyway, i met spiro through the the half door and we did indeed become good friends. i don't see him quite as often any more, BUT i still do see him.

 stop in to see him at the firebox on broad street. you won't be sorry. it's a cool place. great atmosphere and great food.

Spiro Koulouris, Firebox's New General Manager
Java: MaryEllen Fillo
Spiro Koulouris is the new general manager at Hartford's popular Firebox restaurant, an eatery that, as part of Broad Street's successful Billings Forge redevelopment complex, is well known for its farm-to-table menu.

Koulouris took over the general manager duties at the Firebox just a couple of months ago, and the transition has been seamless. Recovering from a busy holiday season, Koulouris, who grew up in East Hartford, was able to find a few minutes to "spill the beans" with Java:...................

pic: Spiro Koulouris (MaryEllen Fillo, fillo@courant.com / January 13, 2011) 

 

whhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??????????

be still my beating heart!!!

Sunday alcohol sales gets Malloy's support

Ken Dixon, Staff Writer

HARTFORD -- Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says he's prepared to honor a campaign promise and approve Sunday sales of alcohol in retail outlets, finally ending a blue law that is as old as Connecticut.

The chief opponent of the legislation was defeated in the November election, and the millions of dollars of anticipated extra tax revenue are sorely needed. But the bill has to emerge from the House and Senate and get to Malloy's desk......................

Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Sunday-alcohol-sales-gets-Malloy-s-support-953532.php#ixzz1AzDcM2ud.

 

 photo taken at plan b west hartford

all i know is, i went on my back porch at 12:30 am YESTERDAY

and shoveled the snow off (ok, i had a butt too). when i went out at 4:00 am, i couldn't even open the porch door, there was that much snow built up. i haven't gone out at ALL yet, but i will be leaving for work shortly. even if the roads are still bad, i don't mind since it's so early and there are very FEW people out there now. pics from my porch yesterday afternoon (01/12/2011)

As Snow Stops, Clean-Up Efforts Continue

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY and HILDA MUNOZ, cdempsey@courant.com
A fierce, record-breaking Nor'easter that battered the state Wednesday dumped more than 22 inches of snow at Bradley International Airport — making it the biggest 24-hour snowfall on record — and created widespread travel havoc.
The state is just starting to dig out from the snow that sharply limited flights at Bradley International Airport, clogged roadways, shut down schools, and prompted many would-be commuters to stay home.
Many schools, however, made the decision to cancel school for a second day....................
 

bombogenesis anyone?

yeah, i didn't know what it meant either. it DID sound like a gypsy kings song though, no?

Fox CT Forecast: Snowstorm Threatens For Tuesday Night
By Rachel Frank Fox CT

We have another major storm on our hands that could rival the "christmas blizzard" in snowfall amounts.

A low pressure system bringing a wintry mess to South Carolina and Virginia tonight will lose steam as it moves up the East Coast. At the same time a pocket of energy moving from the Midwest will join it, creating conditions for what is called a "bombogenesis." Bombogenesis is a sudden and rapid drop in pressure that brings with it an explosion of intense precipitation and wind............ 

 

i wonder where the fault lays

this (ex) catholic priest was livin' it up all over the caribbean. i wonder who's fault it is after being found out to be a pedophile, the catholic church just started transferring him all over from place to place. moving him AGAIN after complaints came in at each of his stops. i wonder how the courant found his hiding place and the catholic church didn't NOR could the fbi i wonder who is at fault here. certainly NOT the pedophile and certainly NOT the catholic church. let's see who the church can blame (because they have that pesky history of blaming EVERYONE and EVERYTHING but THEMSELVES). FUCK THEM. yes, i mean it. there is nothing worse than allowing a child to be hurt. and they did allow it. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN

Pedophile Priest Who Escaped FBI Dies In Martinique
By DAVE ALTIMARI, daltimar@courant.com The Hartford Courant

Former Bridgeport priest Laurence F.X. Brett, one of the most notorious pedophiles to emerge during the priest-abuse scandals of the 1990s, has died on the Caribbean island of Martinique, where he apparently has been living under an alias for the past several years.

While the details surrounding Brett's death are sketchy, a French newspaper confirmed through government officials that Brett died on Christmas day. He was 73.

Brett apparently fell down the stairs in his apartment and hit his head, according to a friend of his who contacted The Courant.

He died at the Hospital Pierre Zobda-Quimann, the main hospital on the island. It is unclear if anyone has claimed his body. He was checked into the hospital under the name James Brett, which was his father's name...........

pic: Suspended Roman Catholic priest Laurence Brett is seen as he walks his dog along the back of the Koolbaai Village apartment complex, where he lives. (ALAN CHANIEWSKI / HARTFORD COURANT / August 28, 2002)

i read this early this morning

and just did NOT want to believe it. i'm guessing there has to be at least a tiny bit of truth to it if the feds are investigating it. man, if true, i hope EVERYONE who drove others out of the town (based on ethnicity, race, religion or whatever) gets theirs and gets it good.

it's an ap story so click on the link 

Citing police abuse, Hispanics leaving East Haven

congratulations grrrls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm not into sports as a rule (don't chu be talkin' bout my red sox though) but i DO have to give a wicked loud shout out to the uconn women's basketball team and everyone associated with them. an amazing group of people who accomplished an amazing amazing thing!

(and i hope my popi and his special friend had a GREAT time at the game last night)

No. 89: UConn tops UCLA, beats Florida St 93-62
 Associated Press

Moore dazzles once again as UConn women take their place in history

Richard Deitsch

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The game wasn't competitive. Coronations rarely are. UConn won its 89th consecutive game on Tuesday night, a 93-62 win over Florida State that morphed from basketball game into a blue and white pep rally in the second half.
The victory tops the 88-game winning streak set by John Wooden's UCLA men's team from 1971-74, and leaves the UConn women at the top of the list among major-college basketball's longest winning streaks. In the game's waning seconds, the crowd at the XL Center held signs in the air with the number "89," serenading the team with the sweet sounds of those digits. Behind the Florida State bench, fans unfurled a large tribute banner to UConn coach Geno Auriemma. It read THE SORCERER OF STORRS...............


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/richard_deitsch/12/22/uconn.women.pass.ucla/index.html#ixzz18ol6vpBo.

Maya Moore added 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a steal to go along with her career-high points total as the Huskies improved to 11-0.

Damian Strohmeyer/SI

uconn huskies women's basketball

blessed be to you all on this winter solstice

image: via

image via

blimage via

it's that time of the year again...............

Funeral details set for Lt Matt Dirrane

details in the courant

Can't get link to work-doing this from my phone so use this:

http://courant.com/community/hartford/hc-firefighter-funeral-1217-20101216,0,114849.story

my thoughts go out to everyone at company 2 (ladder 5) on sisson avenue

in the west end and all the other hartford firefighters too. it's a close knit brother and sisterhood. that house is the one i know the best. it's in the hood i hang in. i know many who work at that house. i didn't know matt, but i have seen him. it's a sad week. to his family and friends, i am so very sorry for your loss (and the loss to the city of hartford)

Hartford Firefighter Killed In Costa Rica

By KATHLEEN MEGAN, kathy.megan@courant.com The Hartford Courant
  
A 16-year veteran Hartford firefighter died Saturday while on vacation in Costa Rica after being hit by a vehicle.

Martin "Matt" Dirrane, 50, who worked at on Ladder 5 at 150 Sisson Avenue was apparently crossing the street when he was struck by the vehicle............. 

Hartford Firefighter Killed While On Vacation

Family Friend: Lieutenant Hit By Car, Lost Too Much Blood

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Hartford Firefighters Association says Hartford Lt. Matt Dirrane was killed Saturday in Costa Rica, where he was vacationing.

A source close to the Dirrane family tells Eyewitness News Dirrane died in the hospital. That family friend tells us Dirrane was hit by a car while he was returning a rental bike. The friend says Dirrane was rushed to a Costa Rican hospital where doctors amputated Dirrane's leg and later died. The friend also questions hospital conditions where Dirrane was treated..............

 

 here's a facebook memorial page for matt dirrane

 

Firefighter Killed While On Vacation

By JEFF SAPERSTONE

Lt. Martin “Matt” Dirrane died after he was struck by a car while he was on a bike.

“He was taken to a small hospital and they tried to stabilize him and ultimately sometime yesterday he succumbed to his injuries,” said District Fire Chief Carol Stiles.

Chief Stiles said Lt. Dirrane was stationed at Company 2 Ladder 5 on Sisson Avenue in Hartford. A black bunting was hanging outside the fire house to remember the 50-year-old.

“So the guys are struggling with it,” said Chief Stiles. “The guys and girls are struggling with it. It's tough. Nobody expected this to happen. We're just trying to get over it, the shock at this point.”.......

 

lovely lovely lovely

Rare Bluebird Spotted At Bradley Airport
By KIM VELSEY The Hartford Courant

Birders have been flocking to Bradley International Airport since a mountain bluebird was spotted there on Tuesday.

The mountain bluebird, a denizen of the Western United States, is rarely seen east of the Rocky Mountains, according to Milan Bull, senior director of science and conservation at the Connecticut Audubon Society.

"This is what keeps bird watchers on their toes," said Bull. "You never know what you're going to see.".......... 

pic: Birders are a-twitter about a mountain bluebird spotted at Bradley Airport on Tuesday. The bird is rarely seen east of the Rockies. (Rollin Tebbetts / Bradley Airport operations manager)