i wanted to post this

it names the people killed. it tells us how some people tried to stop a crazed killer (and there are NO other words to describe him. he WAS A KILLER.)

there is no excuse nothing to justify what he did. there's also an article in the courant today from the MURDERER'S girlfriend. i'm not linking to it. it has me reeling.

IF  the MURDERER was being harassed (it's indeed possible although i'm not sure i'm totally buying it) and his supervisors weren't doing anything about it there were other avenues. how about his union rep (whom he ended up murdering)? the union has no record of complaints. how about the naacp? how about the aclu? how about ANY organization that could have investigated? if a noose was drawn on the bathroom door the police should have been called. HE could have called them. but no. he MURDERED PEOPLE.no excuse. none

to the families and friends of those dead and wounded, to the citizens of manchester and south windsor, to ALL of the citizens of connecticut, i am so very sorry for our loss. and it IS a loss. no one won

 

Workers Tried To Stop Omar Thornton
By DAVE ALTIMARI and DAVID OWENS, daltimari@courant.com

MANCHESTER — —

Five employees of Hartford Distributors Inc. tried to warn their fellow workers or physically stop Omar Thornton during his shooting spree, including a 77-year-old man who tried to run him over with a golf cart.

But Thornton shot them and others, leaving eight dead, and one man — Jerome Rosenstein, the man in the golf cart — fighting for his life.

Interviews with law enforcement sources and employees inside the building when the shooting spree began paint a picture of a man who went from calmly signing his name to a one-line resignation letter to a mass murderer who literally ran down some of his victims as they frantically tried to escape.
"He was eerily cool,'' Manchester Police Lt. Christopher Davis said Wednesday.

Teamsters Local 1035 President Bryan Cirigliano tried to stop Thornton as he opened fire on Steven Hollander, the company's chief financial officer, and Louis Felder, the director of operations, following the meeting at which Thornton resigned. But Thornton turned and shot Cirigliano in the head, killing him instantly. Felder and Cirigliano were Thornton's first victims.

Thornton chased two men — Victor James and Edwin Kennison — out of the warehouse, shooting them as they ran down the driveway. Kennison died immediately...........

 

as you all know we had a tragedy occur in connecticut yesterday morning

i am stunned. stunned.  i know many of the drivers for the area's beer and liquor distributors. my father worked for a beer distributor (not hartford) and my brother in law currently works for a liquor distributor (not hartford). 

we cannot feel safe at work? gun violence MUST end. i don't want to preach but we MUST get guns off of the streets and we must do it NOW.

there is not much more i can say. i will keep everyone in my thoughts and prayers.

coalition to stop gun violence
states united to prevent gun violence
brady campaign

here are links to a few connecticut news sources

9 Dead In Manchester, Conn. Workplace Shooting





By DAVID OWENS and DAVE ALTIMARI, dowens@courant.com

MANCHESTER —

Omar Thornton almost slept through his 6 a.m. wakeup call Tuesday, springing to life only after the teenage brother of his girlfriend nudged him awake.

The 34-year-old kissed his girlfriend Kristi Hannah goodbye, told her he loved her, and then left her East Windsor apartment for work at Hartford Distributors Inc. in Manchester, where he was to meet about 7 a.m. with company and union officials about allegations that he had stolen beer from the beverage wholesaler.

Within hours, he was lying dead on an office floor, having taken his own life as police closed in after a rampage that left eight co-workers dead and made him the biggest mass murderer in state history...................

Profiles Of Confirmed Victims: Manchester Workplace Shooting

9 Dead in Beer Distributor Shooting

By LEANNE GENDREAU, BRAD DRAZEN and RYAN HANRAHAN

 

Mayhem At Manchester Warehouse Leaves 9 Dead

Union Officials Say Disgruntled Employee Opened Fire

Stephanie Berning and Steven Yablonski, Staff Writers

9 dead in Manchester coworker massacre

Manchester, Conn. (WTNH) - Police in Manchester say 34-year-old Omar Thornton of Enfield opened fire at Hartford Distributors, where he worked, at around 7:30 Tuesday morning. He killed eight people and then turned the gun on himself.

Two others were also injured following the shooting at Hartford Distributors at 131 Chapel Road.

Names of two of the victims were released Tuesday night. Bryan Cirigliano, 51, of Newington and Victor James, 59, of South Windsor. Mr. Cirigliano was president of Teamsters Local 1035. He was present during the disciplinary hearing. ...............

 

 

 

 

pic: Shooting In Manchester
(PATRICK RAYCRAFT, HARTFORD COURANT / August 3, 2010)
This is the scene on Tuesday morning Aug. 3, 2010 of the multiple shootings and fatalities at Hartford Distributors in Manchester, Conn. The shootings took place early this morning and fatalities have been confirmed by authorities. Investigators, firefighters and EMS are still on the scene.

Hartford distributors

Several shot at hartford distributors this morning. There are deaths as well. News says gunman is dead (sendin from phone). News conference at 10. I know peeps who work there. My thoughts go outbto all

damn, i miss all the good stuff!

West Hartford Police Capture Naked Man Running Around Bishops Corner

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: number one

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: number one

i hate hate and hate going over avon mountain

it's a WHITE KNUCKLE drive ALL the way from bottom to top. yes, even when you're going 5 mph (which you do 75% of the time due to the construction). i drove over it 5 days a week for MANY years (work). now i only go over it once every couple of months. STILL i HATE IT. i'd rather drive it like it WAS than how it is now. i sure do hope when the construction leaves (i'll believe it when i see it) it WILL be easier, safer and LESS DANGEROUS

By RINKER BUCK And MELISSA TRAYNOR, rbuck@courant.com

AVON — Workers in the construction trades are used to rising early, but lately Todd Kennedy has taken that to extremes. Kennedy, a gable-builder from Coventry, who does most of his work in the Farmington Valley, rises well before 5 because he knows that a big, time-consuming obstacle blocks his morning commute: Avon Mountain.

"I have to leave at 5:30 every morning just to make sure I make a 7:30 arrival at my job site, because you always know that the traffic bottlenecks caused by the construction on Avon Mountain will add 45 minutes to the drive," Kennedy said recently, looking up from his table saw while he worked a job on Montevideo Road at the top of the mountain in Avon.

"By the end of the day, I feel trapped on this mountain," he said. "It takes forever just to get back on Route 44, and then my route through West Hartford will be blocked by all the commuters" trying to avoid the construction...............

pic: Traffic snakes around hazard cones and curves on Route 44 over Avon Mountain. The reconstruction work began in the spring of 2008. (Bettina Hansen / The Hartford Courant / July 27, 2010)

 

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: these pictures are stunning. they are amazing

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: these pictures are stunning. they are amazing

and a few are from connecticut too! (a couple in the beginning and a couple at the end)

it IS against the law

and i wish i personally could stop each and every person i saw talking on a cell phone while driving. unfortunately i cannot. however a few local (and the state police) police forces including west hartford tossed out some tickets for that very offense.

power to  ya! (and i say do it every day. PLEASE)

oh and another thing, IT'S THE LAW IN CONNECTICUT TO TURN YOUR CAR LIGHTS ON IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. DO IT  (and while we're at it, USE YOUR SIGNALS)

Hartford-Area Police Look For Distracted Drivers Hundreds Of Tickets Issued As Part Of NHTSA Study

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY, cdempsey@courant.com

WEST HARTFORD — —

Officer Jen Roman stands in four-foot high weeds, peeking around the corner of an abandoned brick building on New Park Avenue. "White male, white Ford F-250, cellphone. Right hand, right ear," she says into her radio. Down the block, another officer stepped into the road and ordered the pickup truck driver to pull over for violating the state's cellphone law.

The man was one of many caught in the department's latest effort to deter distracted driving. Roman was a "spotter" for part of Wednesday, the fifth day in the second wave of a four-part federal study.

Police in West Hartford, Hartford, East Hartford and the Connecticut State Police are looking for cellphone violations in the area through today. Syracuse, N.Y. is the only other place in the country chosen for the study, sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The purpose of the study is to determine whether enforcing cellphone laws actually alters drivers' behavior, said. Lt. David M. Dubiel of West Hartford's traffic division. The first wave was April 10-16, he said, and more are planned in the fall and in spring of 2011..............

pic: Distracted Driving (SCOTT VARGAS / FOX CT / July 29, 2010)
 

why is EVERY single news outlet i go to

as in

washingtonpost
nytimes

covered with the hideous mug of linda WWE mcmahon? i dislike her with every bone in my body. i think she is THE LAST person anyone in the great state of connecticut should vote for. she promoted (sure she stopped for the time being. she HAD TO) violence not only against men BUT even worse, against WOMEN. she's a steamin' pile. i'd vote for da LIEbs before her and everyone knows i'd NEVER vote for da LIEbs

yuck

putting aside desicration (and disrespect)

 you have to be rather dim to steal a headstone from a ghost (alleged). hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

don't come knocking on my door for help. you got yourself haunted. you get yourself UNhaunted*




Police say theft of 'Green Lady' headstone was a two-person job
 By RONALD DeROSA
BURLINGTON — Continuing their investigation, police have pinpointed a date when the headstone from the legendary “Green Lady” was stolen from a Burlington cemetery.

Sometime between 7:30 p.m. on July 20 and 11 a.m. on July 21 some individuals came and removed the 200-pound headstone of Elisabeth Palmiter, police said citing the investigation. It was also on July 21 when the stone was reported missing from the Upson Road cemetery — also known as the “Green Lady Cemetery.”........

pic: Photo courtesy of Jeff JB of TrekEarth.com.

*no, i don't really believe in ghosts. i DO believe in some odd happenings though. i do believe one should not disrespect the dead (or even the ALIVE)

if you recognize this pup

call Farmington Police Animal Control Officer Charlene Rogers at (860)-675-2440.

Abandoned Miniature Pinscher Found Hungry, Hurt

By LEANNE GENDREAU

riddle me this batman

how can someone with 17 tickets in 4 years

1) still have a license

2) still have insurance (one needs insurance to drive in connecticut n'est pas?)  a 23 year old male with 17 tickets? what insurance company does he have? what are his rates? how can he afford them?

ok, someone answer please

Man At Center Of Neighbor Dispute Can Keep License After Sixth Driver Retraining

By JULIE STAGIS, jstagis@courant.com

EAST HARTFORD — —

Police said a man at the center of a heated neighbor dispute over his driving has been allowed to keep his license after attending a June 23 driver retraining class — his sixth.

Residents of Central Avenue accused Kemar Manboard, 23, of reckless driving and speeding down the street in a loud, souped-up red Honda Civic.

In June, about 75 residents signed a petition complaining about Manboard, asking the town council to do something. ...............

pic: A day after Central Avenue residents went to the town council to complain about a reckless driver on their street, tensions between the driver and the neighbors reached a boiling point. (JOHN KREBS / FOX CT / June 3, 2010) 

i have some bad news...........

BUT i also have some GOOD news

cinema city is closing. 

BUT 

cinema city is reopening on new park as part of the bow tie cinemas. that's a bit closer to me. i'll miss the old theater on brainard but i hope this one does better business. it is one of the ONLY places you could go see a movie and not have a demi or a cruise or an  angelina or a travolta or a snake on a plane anywhere near  you. (another being cinestudio at trinity. however one cannot eat or drink ANYTHING at cinestudio)

Cinema City Closes Its Doors
By

Jenna Carlesso 

 

Cinema City, a beloved theater in Hartford's South End known for its art films, will close its doors for good tonight.

The theater will reopen tomorrow in a wing of the Bow Tie Palace 17 and Odyssey Theater at 330 New Park Ave. under the name "Cinema City at the Palace." The new digs will feature five screens, stadium seating, a new cafe, digital stereo sound and more parking. The current theater -- on Brainard Road across from the Metropolitan District Commission water pollution control facility -- has four screens and a smaller parking lot.

When I spoke to Joseph Masher, Bow Tie Cinema's chief operating officer, last month he said it is because of the theater's steadfastly loyal following that it will reopen at a new location with more perks. The new place will even include memorabilia from the old theater in its lobby area, he said................... 

hope everyone is ok after yesterday's late afternoon storm

the courant has some

pictures up

Fire on Rt 6 Bristol

yessssssssssssssssssssssss!

this is some VERY good news on the EQUALITY front. no, not each and every woman dreams of being a cheerleader. some want to PLAY ACTUAL SPORTS. yeah, just like men do AND CAN 

Judge Says Quinnipiac Discriminated Against Female Student Athletes

By EDMUND H.MAHONY and DOM AMORE, emahony@courant.com

BRIDGEPORT — —

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Quinnipiac University has discriminated against female student-athletes by denying them the same opportunities to participate in sports programs as men and ordered the school, within 60 days, to develop a plan to correct the situation.

U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill said Quinnipiac violated a 1973 federal equal opportunity law, known commonly as Title IX, that prohibits gender discrimination in educational programs. The law has frequently been used to balance unequal spending on high school and college sports programs............

.....The school said at the time that it would maintain opportunities for female athletes and keep the school compliant with Title IX by establishing competitive cheerleading as a new varsity sport......

  

i didn't realize this was happening or else i would have attended as well

 i cannot tell you why a jury awarded 2.9 million to a person who hurt themselves in the res (i am sorry for her injuries. truly i am. i cannot say i know all of the facts of the case so i'm not going to say anything other than i think that jury or judge or whatever/whoever made the decision MADE ONE HELL OF  A SERIOUS MISTAKE)

at any rate, i can certainly recognize a GIANT YELLOW METAL GATE. please do not close my reservoirs. i grew up there. i spent a great deal of time there. i saw loons there. i drove over the power trail in a jeep (and was sick for a week because of it). 

don't close our res

 Hundreds Turn Out To Fight To Keep MDC Property Open
 By VANESSA DE LA TORRE

WEST HARTFORD — —

Paul Kramer will turn 68 on Thursday, a birthday that might never have been without the Metropolitan District's Reservoir 6.

For the past 14 years, Kramer has left his Avon home in the early morning and power-walked its pristine trails, logging 20,000 miles and meeting new friends along the way. Some have diabetes, or cancer, or simply high cholesterol. Kramer, a retired college professor who survived a 1996 artery blockage, strengthens his heart.

"I'm still alive," Kramer said Tuesday evening in West Hartford Town Hall, teary-eyed after asking members of the Metropolitan District Commission not to close its vast land to the public. "I get emotional because of what I do at the reservoir. The thought of losing that is not an easy one for me to handle.".......

pic:
It was a standing room only hearing. Those waiting outside could enter the West Hartford Town Hall Auditorium only when someone inside left. Police were stationed at the doors. Four MDC commissioners listened as speaker after speaker spoke in oppisition to closeing the MDC property to recreational users as the MDC proposed. (MICHAEL McANDREWS, Hartford Courant / July 21, 2010)

i'm thankful connecticut has some of the BEST domestic violence laws out there

but it still won't stop what's happening to us

these three headlines are on the courant's website

right up top. right there
THREE. boom boom boom

19-Year-Old Tells Police He Raped, Stabbed Girl To Death At Holy Land

 

Man Charged With Raping Ex After Home Invasion Appears In Court

 

Murder-Suicide Shocks Couple's Windsor Neighbors

 

 

happy 375th hartford!

Media Advisory - Wadsworth to Sponsor FREE Concert in Bushnell Park
The Wadsworth Atheneum and the Hartford Party Starters Union put on a free concert in
Bushnell Park in celebration of Hartford’s 375th anniversary.
WHAT: In honor of Hartford’s 375th anniversary, the Wadsworth Atheneum and the
Hartford Party Starters Union team up to present a free concert, Still Wavy 375. An
eclectic blend of new young artists from around the country unite to create an evening
of musical bliss, including Grammy nominee, Janelle Monae, as well as Holy Ghost!,
Tobacco, Maluca, Cubic Zirconia, and Rizzla. A fusion of musical genres including pop,
disco, house, funk, and salsa (just to name a few) will resonate through the crowd as
these performers light up the stage.
WHEN: Friday, July 23rd, 2010, 5-10pm
WHERE: Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT
For more information on the event and its artists, please visit http://stillwavy375.com/.
Contact:
Kimberly Reynolds
Director of Communications
Interim Director of Institutional Advancement
860-838-4055
Kimberly.reynolds@wadsworthatheneum.org

if you'd like to help with ginger's care and treatments....

not to worry, they found her pups (and they're fine) and they found her owners (and they're NOT suspects). let's hope the police find the thugs who did this. let's hope they get prosecuted to the full extent of the law

Donations Pour In for Injured Dog

By RYAN HANRAHAN

On Saturday morning, a pit bull named Ginger was found, badly burned, wandering in the Devon section of Milford. Police were concerned because she had recently delivered a litter, but the puppies were nowhere to be found.

In the last few days, Ginger shows signs she is recovering well and she captured hearts all over Connecticut. Now, police search for clues to determine what happened to her..................

 

 

To donate you can send a check to:

United Way of Milford
PO Box 221
Milford, CT 06460

Or visit the United Way's Web site.

Milford police are still looking for who or what injured Ginger between Friday and when she was found at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. If you have information, you are asked to call the police department.

pic: pitbulltalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=33407&view=unread

eddie made me this delightful (and beautiful)

cocktail yesterday at the half door

stoli vanilla
frangelico
and domainae de canton (ginger liquor)

star anise floating on top

three, count 'em THREE

CHILD PORN cases listed in the courant this morning. THREE
(one of the computers used in one of these stories was a work computer. can someone be so stupid OR was someone set up? both of those scenarios are quite possible)

Conn. Man Arrested On Child Porn Charge In Rhode Island

 

Doctor Arrested On Child Porn Charges

 

ESPN Writer Charged With Possession Of Child Porn

 

 

i think there should be NO outdoor dining in west hartford center PERIOD

just a note, it's been anywhere from the 90s to 102 degrees out this week. WHO THE EFF WANTS TO SIT OUTSIDE IN THIS HUMID MISERABLE WEATHER? why the see and be seen peeps who come to the center in DROVES (in their designer SUVs, in their designer clothes with their designer dogs and/or designer kids). 

and by the way, all i'm going to say is YEARS ago i went to the elbow room (not MY choice. it was a friend's birthday). it was about 3 or 4 pm. not too busy. i was treated rudely (VERY). i canceled my food order, ordered a drink. quickly drank it down. wished my friend a happy birthday AND FLED THE SCENE NEVER TO RETURN. nor will i EVER return. i'm just sayin........

West Hartford Starts To Enforce Curfew On Outdoor Dining

By BILL LEUKHARDT, bleukhardt@courant.com

 

WEST HARTFORD — —

With its "under-the-stars" roof garden and the tables along its Farmington Avenue sidewalk, The Elbow Room is a perennial winner of "Best Outdoor Dining" awards from state and regional magazines. Plaques announcing these reader awards line the entranceway for customers to see.

Across the street, Grant's has a 40-seat sidewalk dining area, an alluring spot for late-night diners. It's used from early April through October and even later when possible.

So the notice mailed to numerous downtown restaurants last month by West Hartford police was eye-opening. It was a reminder that the town has a 10 p.m. curfew on outdoor dining and that it should be followed...............

pic: From left, Server Catalina Restrepo tends to tables at Grant's while Mari Rodriguez of Hartford and Alex Hernandez of South Windsor have dinner outside on the patio at the restaurant in West Hartford Center Wednesday night. (Bettina Hansen, Hartford Courant / July 6, 2010)

domestic violence and connecticut funding

no, no, no, it's GOOD news (well nothing about domestic violence is good, but you get what i'm trying to say here) from the curvature

http://thecurvature.com/2010/07/01/connecticut-increases-funding-for-domestic-violence-prevention-and-response/">Connecticut Increases Funding for Domestic Violence Prevention and Response

by Cara

I love having good news instead of bad news to pass along, and it’s not incredibly often that I get it. Connecticut has recently passed a large package of anti-domestic violence laws. One of the portions of the package going into effect today is an increase in funding for domestic violence shelters — specifically, almost $3 million in funding from the state and federal government combined for domestic violence shelters that will allow them to stay open 24/7, rather than being closed at night.

Reportedly, Connecticut is among only five states — the others being Wyoming, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Maine — that do not currently provide 24/7 coverage through domestic violence shelters. Without that coverage, intimate partner violence victims, usually women and children, are left without a safety net during certain hours. The fact is, when a victim decides that it’s time to leave, that’s when it’s time to leave. If she makes an immediate decision at night to leave right that moment, she can’t be expected to go back home when she gets to the shelter and finds it closed..................

 

more 'ALLEGED' abuse

if he's found guilty, i want them to throw the book at him. if he's found guilty i want anyone he's in a relationship with OR will be in a relationship with, to realize domestic abuse is quite entirely possible (probable. again, that is IF he is guilty of this horrid crime)

West Haven Man Charged With Beating Golden Retriever Puppy

By JULIE STAGIS jstagis@courant.com

WEST HAVEN —

A local man faces charges after neighbors said they heard a dog yelping from 200 yards away.

Robert Barnes, 25, of 24 Lester St., second floor, was arrested around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, police said.

Responding officers found a 7-month-old golden retriever who was severely injured. The injuries indicated the dog was beaten, police said...........

 

it pains me to use the word alleged, but i have to

is ANYONE surprised this ALLEGED animal abuser is also accused of domestic violence? no. the answer is no. 

at any rate, i'll also mention, he claims he's INNOCENT (of the animal abuse)

Police: Litchfield Man Hit Dog With Mallet, Shot It With Pellet Gun

By JULIE STAGIS The Hartford Courant

TORRINGTON —

A former resident was charged with four counts of cruelty to animals after he allegedly hit his dog in the head with a mallet and shot it with a pellet gun, police said.

Police received the initial complaint May 29. The complainant said Jeffrey Dunlap, 46, who lived at 21 Oak Ave. at the time, had hit Dakota, a 2-year-old Mastiff-Boxer mix, in the head with a wooden mallet several times, police said in a release...............

Dog abuse cases spark outrage

 By RON DeROSA and JENNY GOLFIN

TORRINGTON — A Litchfield man charged with hitting his dog with a wooden mallet, choking it into unconsciousness and shooting it with a pellet gun told The Register Citizen yesterday that the charges are “completely wrong,” and said the whole incident stems from a domestic dispute.

“The dog was never hurt, nor was he dropped off because of ‘not’ wanting him,” Jeffrey A. Dunlap, 46, of Litchfield, said in an email to the newspaper.

The case, along with a similar incident in West Haven this week, has sparked outrage among readers.

Dunlap turned himself into Torrington Police June 30 on an active warrant and was arrested on four counts of cruelty to animals................

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: this dude is really a democratic plant, right?

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: this dude is really a democratic plant, right?

this sentence is a LITTLE bit better at 30 years

although we ALL know he's NOT gonna do it all. yeah, this dude sounds like a REAL 'good' person.

i am telling you if a son of mine or a relative of mine or someone i know raped a child, I WOULD NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM refer to them as 'good'.

i would also NOT say they effing made a TEENY TINY lil' mistake by raping a young child. THAT is not a mistake. it's a sickness that cannot be cured or even curbed. again, at least the judge gave him 30 (unlike the 7 1/2 the dude in the previous posting got)

30 Years In Jail For Child Rapist

BY HILDA MUÑOZ, hmunoz@courant.com

HARTFORD — —

Family members described Angel Casanova as a good person in Superior Court on Wednesday, moments before he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting a young girl for seven years.

Casanova, 39, of East Hartford, satisfied his sexual needs through a young child, Judge Julia Dewey said during the sentencing.

"You chose to violate […] a young girl. She was a baby," she said..........

 

of COURSE it was the fault of the ELEVEN YEAR OLD GRRRL

she was SO damn sexy in her white socks. on top of what it seems to me, BLAMING rape on an 11 year old, he gets 7 1/2 years? 7 1/2 years? WTF? then the article goes on to say 7 1/2 years of 'special probation'. SPECIAL PROBATION? does that mean he doesn't actually serve time? W T F????????????//

well it really doesn't matter

1) she is in this country illegally

2) she was asking for it

3) she is in fact ONLY a girl

Man Who Raped 11-Year-Old Tells Judge He "Succumbed To Temptation"

BY HILDA MUÑOZ, hmunoz@courant.com

HARTFORD — —

Before Luis Malguichahua was sentenced Wednesday to 7 1/2 years for sexually assaulting a young girl, his attorney read a letter in which Malguichahua said he was weak and had succumbed to temptation.

Malguichahua, 27, then spoke during the court proceeding at Superior Court in Hartford. He apologized to the victim, her mother and anyone else who might have been offended by his crime.

"Unfortunately, sometimes it's just not enough to say I'm sorry. Nor is it enough to say you feel remorse or that you succumbed to temptation," said Judge David P. Gold.............

 

this is kind of cool

although  if the world were coming to an end, i don't think i'd need to be notified by text message first

Conn. Police Unveil New Statewide Alert System

the above is an ap story so NO words from it, but here's the link to connecticut emergency alert system

to the residents of bridgeport

man, i'm sorry about the storm damage. we had almost NOTHING here. i was driving home from work at about 2:30 and it rained a TINY bit (10 minutes maybe) not even that hard. the sky cleared up right away too (it DID get cloudy again later though. i don't know if it rained more again after that. i was in my cave)

Summer Storm Toys With Bridgeport, Conn.

Eyewitnesses Report Seeing Funnel Cloud; Mayor Orders Residents To Stay Home; Storm Also Hammers Queens, L.I

 

Connecticut's biggest city was under a state of emergency on Thursday after reports of building collapses and structural damage had parts of town blocked off.

In all, 23 people were injured and nine buildings were heavily damaged.

The whine of the chainsaw was the soundtrack of a summer night in Bridgeport.

A fast-moving storm turned it into a battered city of trees -- toppled onto homes and blown over in city parks. There were lots of broken windows on buildings and on cars..........

pic: Transformers, trees and parts of buildings were knocked over during a fast-moving and violent storm in Bridgeport, Conn., on June 24, 2010.

CBS

Curfew, state of emergency in Park City

Bridgeport and Stratford have issued a state of emergency following a severe storm Thursday afternoon.............

State Of Emergency In Bridgeport After Severe Weather

 

mo is home. now we just have to get

ADAM home! a while ago i posted a story about a connecticut soldier deployed in afghanistan. he found a puppy and wanted to bring it home. it took a LOT of red tape and a great deal of money (it would have been cheaper to fly A COUPLE of HUMANS home) to get mo home. he's HERE thanks to the generosity of people. now we just have to get his human companion adam home.

Dog Brought From Afghanistan To New Home In State
By JOHN CHARLTON Fox CT

CLINTON —

One Lucky Dog

Mo is adjusting to the good life in Clinton after being rescued from Afghanistan. The 6-month-old mutt traveled over 48 hours and across nine time zones to his new Connecticut home with Brian Wakefield. Brian's brother Adam took the stray in, but the Army ordered him to get rid of the dog.

So Adam and his family started Operation "SendMoHome;" a website that raised the $3,500 needed to quarantine and vaccinate Mo, and then fly him to Connecticut. Donations flooded in and the money was raised in less than 24 hours. Brian picked up Mo Tuesday at JFK International Airport...............

pic:

( Mike Piskorski / June 23, 2010 )

Brian Wakefield shares a quiet moment with his brother's dog Mo. Mo is a stray dog from Afghanistan that was adopted by Brian's brother Adam, who is stationed in the war torn country. It took $3500 and 48 hours for Mo to make it to the United States.

i met her years ago

at an event for fidelco. i didn't know her but what i knew ABOUT her said it all. selfless, giving, compassionate. rip

Roberta Kaman, Fidelco Co-Founder, Dies
By RINKER BUCK
Roberta C. Kaman of Bloomfield, a well-known breeder and trainer of guide dogs for the blind, died early Sunday at Hartford Hospital after a long illness. She was 74.

Kaman was the president and co-founder of the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation of Bloomfield, which has placed more than 1,300 guide dogs with blind and visually disabled people throughout North America. Fidelco was considered important within the guide dog world for breeding a line of German shepherds for leading and assisting the blind, and the group also developed "in-community placement" of its dogs, training guide dogs and owners in their home area.................. 

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: da LIEbs is a giant wad (but we all know that)

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: da LIEbs is a giant wad (but we all know that)

if i were on the vollyball team, I'D SUE THE SHITE OUT OF 'EM TOO

here it is. i'm NOT a fan of cheerleaders. not then, not now, not in the future. i don't need anyone shakin' their stuff in my face in order to support an athletic team. i either support the team or not. take your t and your a (i know there are male cheerleaders too, but more likely than not, they are usually made up of 'HOT CHUNKS CHICKS') 




 this is an ap article so you'll have to click to read ANY of it
https://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/20/AR2010062001020.html?hpid=moreheadlines">Trial in Conn. to find if cheerleading is sport




By PAT EATON-ROBB

this one is from wtnh
Women's volleyball team sues Quinnipiac

Hamden (WTNH) - Players and the coach of Quinnipiac University's women's volleyball team filed a lawsuit against the school today, saying they have failed to provide female students with equal opportunity to participate in varsity intercollegiate athletics.
The lawsuit came after QU's recent decision to eliminate women's varsity volleyball. The ACLU-CT, who is representing the players and coach, said cutting the program is in violation of Title IX.
"We understand these are tough economic times, but Quinnipiac shouldn't be unfairly balancing their budget on the backs of women who are already being discriminated against," said Andrew Schneider, Executive Director of the ACLU-CT.................

and this (yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh judge underhill)
also from ap through espn so click it.
Team to stay until Title IX case is heard

manute bol has passed

i didn't know him personally, but i did see him and say hello from time to time. every once in a while he'd come into the half door too. i know you know he was tall. i can't even explain HOW tall he was.nice too! i'm not nice when people stare at me. HE was nice. you couldn't help but stare. i almost always saw him with a smile on his face as well. i'd love to actually watch others around him as he walked through town. people with jaws agape. manute did a LOT of walking when he was in town. he really was never the same after the accident. 

i remember thinking to myself, WTF, when i heard he was scheduled to 'fight' some ass (it was someone horrible like joey buttafuco) on a celebrety boxing show on tv  years ago. THEN, i found out he was doing it to raise money to build either a school or hospital in his homeland of sudan.

manute, rip

Manute Bol, Former West Hartford Resident And NBA Player, Dead At 47
By JEFF OTTERBEIN, jotterbein@courant.com

Manute Bol, known to state residents as a basketball player whose 7-foot-7 frame made him one of a kind and also for the passion he held for his native land, died on Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.

He was 47.

Bol, a native of Sudan who lived in West Hartford in 2002-07, sought to better the lives of the people in his home country.

That mission was cut short when he died at the University of Virginia Hospital. Tom Prichard, executive director of the Kansas-based Sudan Sunrise humanitarian group for which Bol worked, told The Associated Press that Bol was being treated for severe kidney trouble and a painful skin condition.............

pic: sportige.com
 



pic of manute and billy grant:
Manute Bol stands with Billy Grant,
owner and chef of Grant's Restaurant,

and his son http://www.sudansunrise.org/getinvolved.htm

this wapo article is pretty comprehensive

Manute Bol, former Washington Bullet and one of NBA's tallest players, dies at 47

By Matt Schudel

Manute Bol, who became a basketball sensation in the 1980s as a skeletally thin shot-blocking giant with the Washington Bullets and other professional teams, and who devoted his post-basketball life to improving the lot of his fellow natives of Sudan, died June 19 at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. He was 47.

His cousin George Bol said Mr. Bol had internal bleeding and other complications from Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare skin disease that he contracted from a medication he received in Africa.

Mr. Bol, one of the two tallest players in NBA history, was also one of its most exotic and endearing -- and surely the only one to have killed a lion with a spear. His unusual journey to basketball stardom began in southern Sudan, where he was a cattle-herding member of the Dinka tribe and never touched a basketball until his late teens. After catching the eye of an American coach working in Sudan, Mr. Bol made his way to the United States without knowing a word of English.............

 

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.".....