i'm williung to shell out $.47 a month

to get my emergency 911 system updated. wow, this would be WONDERFUL if it happened. pictures and text messages and videos. it will not only help the victims but it will better aid the responders

i don't mind paying my taxes (or even an additional charge to a phone company or a town or whatever) for services like THIS or EDUCATION


West Hartford Gets Reports On Plans For 911 Improvements
By BILL LEUKHARDT The Hartford Courant

WEST HARTFORD — - Emergency call centers statewide are close to being able to receive emergency text messages, videos and pictures along with phone calls, the state's public safety commissioner told the town council Tuesday.

John Danaher said state telecommunication experts have been working for several years on plans to switch 911 reporting centers from the copper-wire technology now used in land-line phones to fiber-optic cables, enabling use of Internet-based calls, 911 texting and transmission of videos and pictures.

No state in the nation has this system yet, but Connecticut and California are closest to implementing the cutting-edge change, Danaher said.

He attended the meeting to talk about the state's research after reading a news report that the council would be discussing a proposal by council member Shari Cantor, who is urging the town to explore what's needed to make 911 texting a reality.

Prior to Danaher's talk, Cantor said she raised the issue in part because of the violent death of Alice Morrin, the Vernon woman who was shot to death by her estranged husband, James Morrin, on June 28...........

big breaking west hartford leaf collection news

head 'em up bag 'em up and move 'em out!

now if only they could FIX THE STREET LIGHT THAT'S BEEN OUT FOR WELL OVER TWO YEARS

New Policy For West Hartford Leaf Collection This Fall
By BILL LEUKHARDT The Hartford Courant
WEST HARTFORD — - The new policy on autumn leaf collection includes weekly pickup of bags of leaves at curbside from October to mid-December, the public works department said.

The town eliminated curbside leaf vacuuming to save $383,000 this fiscal year, so residents must now bag leaves in 30-gallon biodegradable paper bags...............

EXACTLY what we need

yet another shitty shopping plaza. apparently this one is going to be built on 'contaminated' land to boot! yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Developer looks to grayfields

By HANNAH VAHL
WEST HARTFORD - The contaminated former location of industrial and manufacturing facilities may be cleaned up and transformed into a commercial shopping plaza.
Winstanley Enterprises of Concord, Mass., is proposing to place three small retail buildings, an office building, a bank, gas station, supermarket, and free pad for a future building on the 16.1-acre parcel at 176 Newington Road owned by Crazy Bruce's Discount Liquors, Inc.
A Town Planning and Zoning public hearing and vote on the application was scheduled for May 4.
The plaza, if approved, will include a 40,000-square-foot Stop & Shop Supermarket and a Stop & Shop gas station, where shopping at the grocery store will translate into savings at the pump.
The building containing Crazy Bruce's Liquors, currently located at 178 Newington Road, will be demolished and the liquor store will become another of the shopping plaza's retail tenants...........

lions and tigers and

bear OH MY!

(i watched a bunny in my yard yesterday for a while. the bunny was NO bear though)

Bear Captured in West Hartford
The Hartford Courant
WEST HARTFORD - A young black bear ambled through town for several hours today before it was captured by the Department of Environmental Protection and released at a state forest, said Police Chief James J. Strillacci.

"He was a little guy. The DEP said he was maybe 2 ½ years old," Strillacci said. "He was pretty cute."

The bear was first spotted between 8 and 9 a.m. in a yard on Sedgwick Road...........

the following nbc 30 site has cute video of the bear (i'm guessing it's the bear in question)

Tranquilizer Ends Bear's Day Out

By LEANNE GENDREAU

The daylong outing for a bear in West Hartford ended with a drowsy 10-foot slide down a tree behind a house on Boulevard Monday.

The bear’s day out got people’s attention Monday morning when someone spotted it near Sedgewick Middle School.

Since bears do not belong at a middle school, officials set off on the animal’s trail.

Later, the bear, which is about 150 pounds and 3-years-old, was spotted in the area of Boulevard, a tree-lined street of upscale homes where one is more likely to see a designer dog than a bear...........

some sad west hartford news

a little gem.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

water ban lifted for a few towns but NOT west hartford

man, they unplugged ALL of the coffee pots at work yesterday. of course i had some with me when i went in (at 3:30 am) so that was all well and good. however, they didn't start making coffee until much much later in the morning (in the cafeteria). they boiled all of the water first. usually we can make our own. each wing on each floor has their own coffee maker (and THAT coffee and tea are FREE. the cafeteria beverages are NOT free). so i'm guessing that coffee will still be unavailable. at about 11 am the powers that be decided to allow us to have free bottled water from the cafeteria. that really was nice and i did appreciate it. i'm wondering though, how LONG prior to the bloomfield couple discovering the water critters have we actually been drinking the tainted water?????? and if the critters are NOT harmful as the mdc claim, why then go to all the precautions of boiling our water? to be honest with y'all, i had a rough day at work yesterday and i went out for a beverage afterwards. YES, I HAD ICE ICE BABY



MDC Finds Copepods And Rotifers In Water; Boil Advisory Lifted For 4 Towns
By HILDA MUÑOZ |The Hartford Courant
Residents of East Hartford, Glastonbury, Portland and South Windsor no longer need to boil water for consumption, according to the Metropolitan District Commission and the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

After the discovery of microscopic organisms called copepods and rotifers in a Bloomfield home earlier this week, the MDC advised many of its customers to boil their water for one minute before consuming it. Residents of Bloomfield, Windsor, Hartford, West Hartford and parts of East Granby and Windsor Locks should continue to boil their water through the weekend while testing continues through the system, according to a statement from the MDC.........


the world of copepods
pic:

Copepods (U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY)

pic:

A drawing by Giesbrecht (1892) of the Copepoda, Sapphirina auronitens Claus, 1863

Water Alert Lifted in 5 Towns

by MONICA BUCHANAN and DEBRA BOGSTIE

he boil water alert has been lifted in East Hartford, Glastonbury, Portland, South Windsor, and 12 homes that were affected in Manchester. The warning is still in efffect for Hartford, West Hartford, Bloomfield, Windsor, and parts of East Granby and Windsor Locks MDC water customers.

if you're in one of these ten towns

and i AM, we are being advised to boil our drinking water (shite)
Bloomfield, Glastonbury, Portland, Windsor, Hartford, East Hartford, West Hartford, South Windsor and parts of East Granby and Windsor Locks


Residents Of MDC Towns Being Advised To Boil Drinking Water
By MARK SPENCER |Hartford Courant
Residents of 10 towns served by the Metropolitan District Commission are being advised to boil their drinking water for one minute as a precautionary measure.

The advisory was issued today at the request of the state Department of Public Health for the towns of Bloomfield, Glastonbury, Portland, Windsor, Hartford, East Hartford, West Hartford, South Windsor and parts of East Granby and Windsor Locks. The practice should be followed until further notice, the MDC said in a statement.

The MDC said it is conducting a study to determine why microscopic aquatic organisms called "copepods" and "rotifers" have been detected in the drinking water distribution system coming through the district's Reservoir No. 6 water treatment facility in Bloomfield.
................

from the talk of west hartford blog

we have the west hartford pot hole users guide

(please note: we've reported a burned out street light to the town over the YEARS, yes, that's right, i said YEARS. and it is STILL NOT RE-BULBED. we are told, each time we call, 'they will get to it')

soooooooooooooo, i wouldn't hold my breath waiting on the repair of the pot holes

..................
As a public service, portions of a Pot Hole FAQ have been reprinted (with additions) for those traversing the streets of West Hartford:

What makes a pothole?
Potholes are created when moisture seeps into the pavement, freezes, expands and then thaws. This weakens the pavement. Traffic loosens it even more, and it eventually the pavement crumbles and pops out.

Some people will be blaming new de-icing materials that were used this past winter on our roadways. Who knows, it might even be all those heavy West Hartford SUV's and the increased traffic flow that was not meant for our roadways................

didn't know a west hartfordite

was a crew member of the ship hijacked by pirates (i'm glad you're ALL now safe and sound)

hurry home to your family and friends! and of course welcome back

Conn. crewman reconsiders job after pirate attack

By Susan Haigh
Associated Press Writer
WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—The wife of a Connecticut crew member on a cargo ship attacked by Somali pirates says he told her the incident has convinced him to consider giving up his job. ATM "Zahid" Reza called his wife Jennifer from Kenya moments after news broke that his captain, Richard Phillips, was freed unharmed Sunday.

His wife says Reza told her that he was "terribly relieved" that Phillips was safe.

Reza lives in West Hartford with his wife and 6-year-old son Isa. He was one of 19 sailors who reached safety Saturday, four days after escaping the pirate hijacking......

Conn. crewman reconsiders job after pirate attack
from The Associated Press
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. April 12, 2009, 05:47 pm ET · When ATM "Zahid" Reza left in late January on his latest voyage aboard a cargo ship, he told a friend he knew there was a risk of pirates but thought the problem was over-hyped.

On Sunday, days after escaping a pirate hijacking off the coast of Somalia, the 41-year-old Merchant Marine called his wife and told her he was thinking of quitting because of the frightening incident. Reza has said he was the first to see the pirates board the Maersk Alabama with hooks and ropes, firing into the air.

"Are you going to give up being a Merchant Marine?" Jennifer Reza asked her husband, as stood in her back driveway in West Hartford with several reporters listening to her end of the conversation. The Rezas' 6-year-old son, Isa, crawled in and out of the family's silver Honda Civic, where he and his mother had been reading books to escape the constant barrage of telephone calls from reporters.......

some west hartford news

psssssssssttttttt - as i've mentioned before WE (the employees of my company) didn't get raises this year either. i'm not liking that, but i like it a whole heck of a lot better than NOT having a job (or my coworkers not having a job)

West Hartford Union Agrees To Wage Freeze

By BILL LEUKHARDT |The Hartford Courant

April 4, 2009

WEST HARTFORD — - The first of the town's employee unions has tentatively agreed to a wage freeze, a request town leaders have made to all unions to help save money and jobs during a cash-poor time and a projected $6 million revenue shortfall in next year's proposed budget.

The Service Employees International Union, its 187 members making it the largest of the town's municipal unions, will soon vote on a proposal to accept a wage freeze, interim town manager Ronald F. Van Winkle said Friday.

SEIU spokesman Matt O'Connor said Friday that the membership will vote April 15 on a proposal but that he could not provide details......

i think he got it right

he just needs an suv and a designer dog

snows and crows

off of my back porch late afternoon sunday december 21st

i don't know flat stanley

but he did spend a day with barack obama!

(and helped three boys with a school assignment as well)

Obama's Letter Was Answer To A Little Boy's Request

By LORETTA WALDMAN |The Hartford Courant
WEST HARTFORD — - When Amy Mondschein dashed into Solomon Schechter Day School last Thursday, the head of the school and her son's teacher were waiting. The Enfield resident, whose son is a second-grader at the Jewish day school, was running late that day. Was she in trouble?

Far from it.

An envelope addressed to her son, Aron, 7, had been delivered to the school that morning. It was from Barack Obama, senator from Illinois and Democratic presidential candidate. "They were all excited," Mondschein said. "The whole school was abuzz. They took a picture of [Aron]. He was like a little celebrity."
A little more than a month earlier, teacher Joyce Ben-KiKi had Aron and his classmates each send letters to a famous person as part of a language arts lesson. Ben-KiKi wrapped the exercise around well-known children's book character "Flat Stanley," so along with the letters, the children each tucked a Flat Stanley figure they had made into each envelope.

"I told them not to expect a letter back," Ben-KiKi said. "I told them these people are very busy and most likely will not write back."...........

a rose on october 27 2008

these pictures were taken yesterday morning at 7:45 am (27 0ctober 2008)

lock your cars!

oh and just so you know, i was trying to avoid one of those medians (for traffic calming MY BIG FAT ASS) on asylum the other morning - ON MY WAY TO WORK - sober, at 3 am AND I HIT A CURB. i did some damage to my car. i'm NOT happy. i can't wait till winter..........

Items Stolen From Unlocked Cars In West Hartford

By JOSH KOVNER |The Hartford Courant

WEST HARTFORD — - Police are investigating five thefts from unlocked cars that occurred late Tuesday and early Wednesday on Shady Lane, Whetton Road, Westborough Drive and Uplands Drive.

Among the stolen items were GPS devices, an iPod, a laptop computer and satellite radios.

"All the cars were unlocked," said Capt. Paul Melanson, head of detectives. "Smashing windows makes noise and attracts attention."

Drug users trade stolen electronic items for narcotics, Melanson said. Town police urge residents to lock their cars, leave nothing in plain sight and bring equipment inside.

Shady Lane is off Asylum Avenue; Whetton runs between Asylum and Albany avenues; Uplands and Westborough are off Mountain Road...........

monsters in the hood

this morning at about 3 am

(cool lights, huh?)

unfortunately this comes far too late

to have stopped those idiotic AND DANGEROUS (and useless and stupid and insane) traffic 'calming' islands on asylum avenue between steele and trout brook

west hartford LEAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN TACT (and the police and the schools too). no one wants THAT touched. what we want touched are projects like useless TRAFFIC CALMING ISLANDS WHERE THEY ARE NOT ONLY NOT WANTED THEY ARE NOT NEEDED

West Hartford Voters Again Reject Budget Plan

By JOSH KOVNER And VANESSA DE LA TORRE |The Hartford Courant

WEST HARTFORD - Voters on Tuesday shot down the $213.4 million budget, 6,152 to 4,844, and Mayor Scott Slifka said the council will consider about $800,000 worth of cuts when it meets to pass a new spending plan next Tuesday.

The budget passed in five of 20 voting districts. In June, only one voting district passed the budget.

Pete Lukawicz, 58, a home-improvement contractor, said he couldn't support the budget in this economic climate. It would have raised spending by $11 million, or 5.8 percent, though much of that is in salaries and benefits that are set by collective bargaining.

"I don't mind paying higher taxes for higher services, and I know costs are going up everywhere. I also think that people who work for the town should be paid commensurate with their private counterparts. But the tax increase over the last several years has exceeded the general inflation rate,'' said Lukawicz, a 12-year town resident........

i grew up in the asylum avenue area

my pops and sister and i still live in the hood. both my sister and i (and, as it turned out SEVERAL other people) phoned the town a day or two after noticing all sorts of spray painted hieroglyphics in the street. one of the words said 'island'. that's when we got the scoop. the town did a traffic study (and if they really did one, i was unaware of it. as i said, i have lived in that hood MOST ALL of my life - and i ain't no spring chicken). that's what they used to say they needed those island for TRAFFIC CALMING. TRAFFIC CALMING?????????????????? all i can see is a giant pain in the ass AND creation of dangerous conditions. the day before yesterday NINE CARS CRASHED INTO THE ISLAND BETWEEN PENN AND CUMBERLAND (i don't know about the other islands). my sister observed ALL but the first crash. the islands were NOT properly marked AND the sun was coming down and in the driver's eyes. just think about what is going to happen in the winter. hey town of west hartford, we're on a budget. WHERE DID THE MONEY FOR THE ISLANDS COME FROM?????????????? did you ask the neighborhood residents if THEY thought the islands were a good idea? one more thing, why, the day AFTER the 9 crashes were west hartford police ALL OVER THE SIDE STREETS STOPPING PEOPLE AND 'HEAVILY OBSERVING' people? why weren't they ON asylum avenue?

it's a stupid effing idea. it's a waste of money. when we talked to people 'in charge' regarding the NINE CARS THAT HIT THAT STUPID MEDIAN, there was some talk of people not following the newly painted solid line down that side of asylum. i am bad at directions. it's the side going from quaker to trout brook. well, the line looks like it was painted by someone on acid. it was NOT done very well.

it's all bullshite. THE TOWN DIDN'T DO IT'S JOB

channel 3 had a camera truck out there late yesterday afternoon. they did a little piece on it but i don't believe anyone hit the island yesterday. that doesn't matter NINE IN THE SPAN OF ABOUT AN HOUR the day before last, IS NINE TOO MANY)
http://www.courant.com/community/news/hfd/hc-whdmedian0912.artsep12,0,6967761.story

West Hartford Officials Defend Medians After 9-Vehicle Crash

By JOSH KOVNER |Courant Staff Writer

September 12, 2008

WEST HARTFORD — - Town officials defended the use of "traffic-calming" measures around town after several cars — heading west into the setting sun — struck the new, granite-curbed medians in the center of Asylum Avenue during rush hour Wednesday evening. Police Chief James Strillacci said he viewed the nine-car crash as more of a construction-zone accident, complicated by the glare of the sun, than an inherent problem with the medians, "bump-out" curbs, chicanes or speed bumps that have been installed, or are being built, on at least 10 streets. These include main arteries like Asylum Avenue, Steele Road and Farmington Avenue. West Hartford is about 15 years and $2 million dollars into one of the region's most extensive traffic-calming programs. Strillacci and Town Manager Ronald Van Winkle said the measures have generally had their desired effect — that of narrowing streets, slowing down cars, and forcing drivers to be more attentive. "Asylum Avenue was a drag strip in the 1990s," Mayor Scott Slifka said Thursday. He noted that commuters and others who pass through West Hartford generally don't like the measures, while residents coping with speeding cars in their neighborhoods do............

hey mayor slifka, i take umbrage with your statement about asylum being a drag strip in the 90s. were YOU there? i was. EACH AND EVERY DAY. it was NEVER a drag strip. where did THAT come from? sure, you're get a speeder now and again. that's the same with EVERY street. let's take a side street for example. let's take ummmmm let's say MAPLEWOOD. there are far MORE speeders on THAT street than asylum. maplewood, a cut through street for farmington ave or quaker or boulevard.

hey mayor slifka if i asked the town for the traffic study justifying the islands would you furnish me with one? OR, would i have to get an foi request?
am i pissed? yes i AM pissed (but my sister is even MORE pissed if you can believe it)

picture: The newly installed granite median on Asylum Avenue in West Hartford may be a factor in the nine-car crash on Wednesday. (LORETTA WALDMAN / HARTFORD COURANT / September 11, 2008)

hmmmmmmmmm 35 burglaries in the past 4 months

and we're hearing about it now? what up? i'm not the most well informed person out there, so this info MAY have been released prior to now. but i sure didn't hear or read about it until today

the picture looks like it's from the apartments on the corner of farmington and quaker.

Police: West Hartford Apartments Target Of Burglars

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- West Hartford police, investigating a rash of at least 35 burglaries in apartment buildings over the last four months, said Wednesday residents should take precautions, stay alert, and report any suspicious activity.
"They should lock their apartment doors, keep valuables out of sight, if you see someone suspicious, immediately call the police department," Sgt. Jeff Rose said. "Sometimes with apartments, if you don't know your neighbors that well, get to know them."
Many of the thefts -- in which jewelry, computers, even large televisions have been pilfered -- have occurred during the day when the residents are not at home, police said.,,,,,,,,,,,,

we knew something was going on at bishop's corner

when we found out they didn't renew (the VERY popular) macaroni grill's license. westfarms, the center, black and blue square (which i spit on) and now a revitalized bishop's corner. it's already fairly difficult to find a parking place there on EITHER side by whole foods or marshall's. the foodmart/post office side isn't quite so bad, but i have a feeling it WILL be. we'll see what they do. i'll wait to make my judgement

Bishops Corner: Plans For Fresh Face
By KENNETH R. GOSSELIN
WEST HARTFORD
In 1953, Lord & Taylor opened its first store outside the New York area at a quiet crossroads known as Bishops Corner, bringing with it big-city glitz, glamour and fashion.The center created a retail buzz and drew shoppers from all over Greater Hartford. It spawned a wave of retail development and the rise of the suburban mall in the area as people and commerce headed out Albany Avenue from the city.Now, 55 years later, can this aging, tired shopping center create magic again — this time in a mature suburb?The owner of what was once Lord & Taylor — now a Marshalls — and a retail and office complex next door is expected to unveil plans as soon as this spring for a major redevelopment of the two properties, which could include the demolition of the half-empty Marshalls building and adjoining parking deck.The developer, Edens & Avant, isn't giving details. But early talks with town officials — who will help shape the plans — point to a walkable "town center" with small shops and one or two large anchor tenants. The project could cost as much as $100 million, town officials said.........