Urban Compass

• Themes Emerge from Hartford Planning, Visioning Meetings

  With just one meeting to go in a series of five as part of Hartford’s efforts to renew its plan of conservation and development (see hartford.gov/oneplan), some discernible themes are emerging from small group discussions and panelist reactions. The strongest ideas I’ve noticed relate to transportation needs especially as they relate [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 2:18pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Signs of Vitality

  Walking around New Haven recently, I came across this interesting telephone pole (pictured) outside the York Street House of Noodles. While countless staples and wads of paper remnants aren’t terribly attractive on a telephone pole—I find the net effect is a sort of permanently bedraggled snow-blown look—their lingering presence speaks volumes [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 1:33pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Plan Much?

  If you were suffering from a dearth of planning meetings related to the city of Hartford, ’tis the season to rejoice. Or cry. Or both. We are entering a month-long, intense phase of significant public meetings related to planning efforts. On one hand, this is an exciting time for any subset [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 1:57pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford Board of Education Election Results

  The results aren’t yet official, but The winners of the four elected seats on the Hartford Board of Education appear to be are Lori Hudson (D), Elizabeth Brad Noel (WFP), Robert Cotto, Jr. (WFP), and Luis Rodriguez-Davila (D). Read more about them at last week’s forum in a blog post [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 12:19pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Trinity College Campus Lockdown… in Tweets

  Yesterday at about 5:30 pm, according to a report in the Courant, police in Hartford responded to a report of a robbery at a McDonald’s restaurant at 507 Flatbush Avenue. The 21-year-old armed and dangerous suspect was reported to be barefoot, wearing tan shorts and a grey t-shirt over a [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 11:47am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Something to Say Hartford is No. 1

  What tells you that your own city is the pick of the litter? Is it the number of miles of interstate highway you can boast within your boundaries? Hugest swaths of public park land? Size of your development parcels? Number of Dunkin Donut franchises? Largest quantity of taxable properties? Biggest [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 1:44pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford Charter Revision Commission Submits Recommended Changes

  The Hartford Charter Revision Commission, after five months of meetings, voted unanimously last night to approve its recommended changes (PDF) to the city charter. The previous evening the commission held a legally required public hearing at the downtown library branch. The public was also invited to be heard at almost [...]
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  Posted: May 15, 2009, 2:10pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Will the City Arts Stimulus Create Jobs for Artists?

  In his state of the city address last month, Mayor Eddie Perez announced what he called a Hartford arts stimulus—a proposed $1.7 million increase in grants to Hartford arts organizations to “create new works, new performances, and expand facilities.” He anticipated the stimulus would create hundreds of new jobs in [...]
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  Posted: April 15, 2009, 12:22pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• At Billings Forge in Frog Hollow, Broad Street, Hartford

  Browse through more photos of the Billings Forge complex in my flickr set. To see what classes are being offered this spring at the Studio, download a flyer (PDF). Classes start this week. [...]
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  Posted: April 08, 2009, 9:48am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield City Council Opposes Forestry, DPW Privatization

  At its meeting this week, the Springfield City Council unanimously passed a resolution initially submitted by Councilor Bud Williams, opposing the efforts of Mayor Domenic Sarno and the Finance Control Board to privatize the forestry division of the Parks Department and the vehicle maintenance division of the Department of Public [...]
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  Posted: March 26, 2009, 3:07pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Will Springfield’s Massive Zoning Revision Pass a City Council Vote?

  Today’s Springfield Republican includes an article about the latest developments in the city’s zoning ordinance revision project. Apparently there was an informational session on Monday this week for city councilors, where consultants working on the project delivered a detailed update (PDF) on progress so far, including edits following a public [...]
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  Posted: March 26, 2009, 2:24pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Councilman Deutsch to Deliver Minority Party State of the City Address

  At 12:15 pm today, Hartford City Councilman Larry Deutsch (pictured) will offer a People’s State of the City address at City Hall, either in the spacious atrium inside, or on the front steps if weather permits (inside is looking likely). In a press release issued late yesterday, Deutsch invited all Hartford [...]
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  Posted: March 19, 2009, 11:14am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Billings Forge Adds Vitality, Community Garden, New Hires

  In a recent press release made available today in a post at Cityline, the non-profit Billings Forge Community Works in Hartford announced the addition of a community garden to its existing farmers’ market and the city’s latest gem, the Studio performance space. The place seems to be gaining momentum. On Broad [...]
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  Posted: March 18, 2009, 12:24pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• City Council, Mayor Stumble into Compromise Appointing New FOI Advisory Board; What Complications Await?

  At its meeting on Monday this week, the Hartford City Council was faced with a pressing deadline to nominate individuals for the city’s new three-member Freedom of Information Advisory Board. Last December, when it passed an initial version of an ordinance creating this board, it was unclear who would appoint [...]
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  Posted: March 12, 2009, 1:12pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Mayor Perez’s State of the City Address

  5:36 pm Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez will offer a state of the city address starting at any time now. I’ll be liveblogging the event via the city’s government cable channel. Currently the city is broadcasting a blue screen announcing the speech, accompanied by some smooth jazz with the lyrics “I’m [...]
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  Posted: March 09, 2009, 5:36pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• In Search of Equitable City Electoral Districts

  At its last meeting, the Hartford Charter Revision Commission voted to recommend to the City Council a change in council membership from an all at-large system to a mix of at-large and district representatives. The recommended change will be five district representatives and eight at-large, for a total of 13 [...]
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  Posted: March 05, 2009, 2:14pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Frustrated Residents Challenge Hartford City Officials on Budget

  “What about senior staff and non-unionized [employees], what are you asking from these people?” Ellen Nurse (pictured, far right) challenged city officials at last Thursday night’s public budget presentation and discussion at Hartford’s downtown library branch. Mayor Eddie Perez and his staff members Lee Erdmann (the city’s Chief Operating Officer), Christopher [...]
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  Posted: March 03, 2009, 1:47pm EST
  by Robert Cotto

• Mayor Sarno Pledges to Give $158 a Month Back to City

  According to a report in today’s Republican by Mike Plaisance, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno (pictured at his desk in City Hall) will return two percent of his annual $95,000 salary to municipal coffers, effective immediately. As he told Plaisance, “You have to lead by example.” He will apparently write the [...]
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  Posted: March 03, 2009, 10:39am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Transportation Meetings in Springfield Area March 4

  In the wake of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s recently-announced transportation and economic security plan, which includes a proposal to raise the state’s gas tax by 19 cents per gallon, key meetings are set to take place in the Springfield area on Wednesday, March 4 to provide input to leaders and [...]
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  Posted: March 02, 2009, 5:59pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Cities and Rail, Part 3: Cooperation Yields Improved Cities

  Four panelists attempted to answer the question, “Can Rail Save Connecticut Cities?” at an event at Hartford’s UConn Law School on Friday, February 20. Boosting cities will take efforts on multiple fronts, and rail ought to be a part of the effort, the experts said. This is part three of [...]
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  Posted: February 23, 2009, 12:38pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Cities and Rail, Part 2: the Regulation Rollercoaster

  Four panelists attempted to answer the question, “Can Rail Save Connecticut Cities?” at an event at Hartford’s UConn Law School on Friday, February 20. Boosting cities will take efforts on multiple fronts, and rail ought to be a part of the effort, the experts said. This is part two of [...]
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  Posted: February 21, 2009, 10:40pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Cities and Rail, Part 1: Bugs in the System

  Four panelists attempted to answer the question, “Can Rail Save Connecticut Cities?” at an event at Hartford’s UConn Law School today. Boosting cities will take efforts on multiple fronts, and rail ought to be a part of the effort, the experts said. This is part one of a series capturing [...]
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  Posted: February 20, 2009, 5:46pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Prosperity for All: Big Ideas for Little Places

  Mark Muro (pictured) of the Brookings Institution appeared today by phone on WNPR’s “Where We Live,” along with Heidi Green of 1000 Friends of Connecticut and Bill Cibes of the Connecticut State University System in the studio. Along with several others, Green and Cibes co-authored the recently-released “Prosperity for All: [...]
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  Posted: February 19, 2009, 12:47pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield Announces 89 Layoffs; Job Outsourcing to Come

  Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno (pictured) held a press conference this morning in City Hall to announce 89 layoffs of city employees, many of them as of March 2. According to initial reports, 44 jobs will be cut in the Department of Public Works, 17 in the Library Department, 12 in the [...]
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  Posted: February 18, 2009, 11:44am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Exclusive: Gateway Cities Caucus Files Economic Development Bill

  A state legislative caucus representing eleven cities in Massachusetts, which formed last year to advocate specifically for the cities’ economic development, recently filed a bill entitled, “An Act to Promote Economic Development in the Gateway Cities” (full text at the bottom of the post). The bill was filed on behalf of [...]
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  Posted: February 12, 2009, 11:44am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• But Who Will Govern?

  A special meeting of the Hartford City Council last night concerned one matter only: the possible removal of its president, Calixto Torres, an effort that failed in a 5-3 vote, with one abstention from Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson, who is connected to the state’s corruption probe of the mayor’s office. Ken Krayeske [...]
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  Posted: February 04, 2009, 1:29pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• So Much for CitiStat, Municipal Effectiveness; Springfield Layoffs Pending

  At yesterday’s Finance Control Board meeting in Springfield, Mayor Domenic Sarno (pictured left) shared information about which city departments will receive mid-year budget cuts in the wake of cuts at the state level. The previous day, he appeared before the City Council to share information, which amounted to no information [...]
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  Posted: February 04, 2009, 10:25am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Mayoral Blues: Perez Turns Himself in to State Police

  Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez surrendered himself to Connecticut state police today after having been served with a warrant for his arrest. He has been charged with bribery as well as fabricating evidence and conspiracy to fabricate evidence. During a press conference today in City Hall, Perez issued a prepared statement and [...]
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  Posted: January 27, 2009, 4:41pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• State Deficits Skyrocket, Leaving Jobs and Cities Behind

  The Connecticut state deficit is “skyrocketing” toward $1 billion, according to Governor M. Jodi Rell in a press release yesterday. Estimated income tax payments as of January 15 were 20 percent below projections, leaving the current-year deficit estimate at about $922 million. At a press conference yesterday, Rell said, “Every [...]
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  Posted: January 21, 2009, 12:36pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Watch Presidential Inauguration Live

  Live TV : Ustream [...]
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  Posted: January 20, 2009, 9:24am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Cities Appeal for Federal Stimulus Funds

  In a keynote speech at a breakfast event on Tuesday this week, at the Connecticut Convention Center in downtown Hartford, Mayor Eddie Perez offered up a state of the city address (full text below). The theme of his speech, an emerging concept surrounding the occasion of a pending federal stimulus [...]
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  Posted: January 15, 2009, 11:48am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield Releases 2008 Crime Stats

  Violent crime is down in Springfield, but Police Commissioner William Fitchet sure sounds kind of glum about it. Maybe he just doesn’t want to overplay good news. Listen to his comments on WHYN here, as well as Mayor Domenic Sarno’s related comments here. The Republican has an initial report up, by [...]
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  Posted: January 14, 2009, 2:12pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• City Solicitor Issues Second Eminent Domain Opinion

  Last month, Springfield city solicitor Ed Pikula released an official opinion on the matter of whether the city might reasonably seize a property by eminent domain for use as a public library. Pikula gave a green light to proceed with a taking through a careful step-by-step process. As with the [...]
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  Posted: January 14, 2009, 2:03pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Crow Roost in Hartford May Be a Result of Urban Sprawl

  Enclosure: [download]

  Making my way back home from Bloomfield to Hartford this week, I looked up at the sky with great satisfaction. The daily migration of crows to Hartford has found a new home away from my neighborhood in Frog Hollow. Over the past decade, the size of this crow roost in Hartford has swelled and [...]
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  Posted: January 09, 2009, 4:13pm EST
  by Robert Cotto

• Hartford City Officials Announce 2008 Crime Stats

  At a press conference this morning in Hartford City Hall, Mayor Eddie Perez and Police Chief Daryl Roberts were joined by City Councilman Matt Ritter and the MetroHartford Alliance’s Julio Concepcion, of Hartford Crime Stoppers, to announce the release of 2008 crime statistics in the city. Overall, “part one” crime is [...]
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  Posted: January 09, 2009, 12:46pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Mayor Perez Featured in Leaders Magazine

  Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez was featured in the current issue of Leaders, a quarterly magazine. A press release issued today from the mayor’s office notes: Mayor Perez focuses on education, public safety, and economic development for the Capital City and the region and shares his hope and optimism for the future—especially [...]
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  Posted: January 09, 2009, 8:22am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Governor Patrick to Sign Springfield Relief Bill Friday

  Late on Tuesday this week, the Springfield relief bill passed in the Massachusetts legislature. Governor Deval Patrick is expected to sign it at 2:30 pm Friday, during a special visit to his Western Massachusetts office in downtown Springfield, accompanied by Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and other state and local officials. Among [...]
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  Posted: January 08, 2009, 9:32pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Governor Patrick to Select Tech High for State Data Backup Center

  Both the Springfield Republican and WHYN reported breaking news out of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s office today that an announcement is forthcoming about his selection of a site for a high-security state data backup center. Apparently, Governor Patrick is set to choose the former Technical High School on Elliot Street in [...]
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  Posted: January 08, 2009, 12:22pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Regional Transportation Discussions Branching Out

  A day-long transportation forum, “The Need for Speed,” hosted by the National Corridors Initiative, Inc. and the Sierra Club of Connecticut, will take place in New London on Friday, January 9, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Radisson Hotel. The event is open to the public, although there is [...]
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  Posted: January 08, 2009, 11:27am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield Schools Launch Newsletter, Plan for Reform

  As promised by Springfield Schools Superintendent Alan Ingram (pictured) on July 1, a vision for the future of the city’s public schools was released yesterday, close to the target date “near the end of December.” Also fresh off the presses: a district-wide newsletter that reads less like marketing and more [...]
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  Posted: January 08, 2009, 10:01am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Regional Public School Choice Site Launches

  ConnCAN has announced the launch of SmartChoices, an impressive digital guide to public school choice for 19 local school districts in the Hartford region, an effort in partnership with Trinity College. In the future, the site’s database will likely expand to include more districts. According to the site, the Capitol Region [...]
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  Posted: January 05, 2009, 4:42pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Losing the Legislature

  An editorial in yesterday’s Republican, titled, “Our local legislators are hurting Springfield,” issued the paper’s harshest concise criticism to date of State Representatives Ben Swan and Cheryl Coakley-Rivera. Both city residents, they have attempted to block a key bill in the state legislature that would enable Springfield to take more [...]
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  Posted: January 05, 2009, 3:29pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Mayor Mike Passes

  Update 1/5: Sarah Barr of Mayor Eddie Perez’s office announced late today that calling hours will be held from 3:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, January 7 at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard in Wethersfield. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 8, 10:00 am at [...]
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  Posted: January 05, 2009, 2:41pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Random Roundup: Endings and Beginnings

  With an eye on downtown Hartford, Emily Gianquinto at Live in Hartford reviewed five Pratt Street eateries over the weekend: The Russell, Tamarind Grill & Bar, Tanuki, Vaughn’s Public House, and JoJo’s Coffee Roasting Company. Another new locale on Pratt Street Gianquinto didn’t review is The Society Room of Hartford (pictured), [...]
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  Posted: December 30, 2008, 1:51pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Mayor Sarno’s Pink Slip Specter

  At a morning press conference in Springfield City Hall today, Mayor Domenic Sarno (pictured earlier this year, with City Councilor Jose Tosado) stood by a large foam board display of “pink slips,” grasping a press release in his hand printed on pink paper, and called for the state legislature to [...]
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  Posted: December 23, 2008, 2:33pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• $700,000 for a Library Taking

  The Mason Square library branch saga in Springfield took a dramatic turn last night, hopefully in the interest of bringing the neighborhoods in the very center of the city significantly closer to getting back its full-service library. The Springfield Republican reported today in an article by Mike Plaisance that city solicitor [...]
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  Posted: December 23, 2008, 11:59am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Who Has Authority to Appoint Hartford’s New FOI Advisory Board?

  The Hartford City Council passed an ordinance during its December 8 meeting that would create a three-member freedom of information advisory board for the city, to foster compliance with state freedom of information rules. The ordinance is an amendment to Chapter 2, Article V of the city’s municipal code. But who [...]
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  Posted: December 22, 2008, 5:34pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Snowy Streets of Hartford

  [...]
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  Posted: December 22, 2008, 5:30am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Email Notification Available

  For those readers who do not use an RSS reader to keep up with blogs, or who prefer to get the very latest as it becomes available, Urban Compass now provides email notification of blog posts. Registered users of the blog have a couple more options for email format; adjust your [...]
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  Posted: December 21, 2008, 1:50pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Possible Charter Change: Weighing District Elections in Hartford

  Number of comments: 1
  At last week’s public charter revision hearing in the downtown Hartford public library, a recently-created 13-member panel (of which I am a part) heard from eight prominent officials regarding a possible revision of the city’s charter. (Photo: some members of the charter revision commission, by Robert Cotto. From left, Sara [...]
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  Posted: December 17, 2008, 3:40pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Rally Tonight for Library Eminent Domain, Springfield City Hall Steps

  Number of comments: 6
  A public rally is set to take place tonight at 6:15 pm, on the steps of Springfield City Hall, in support of eminent domain use to take back a former library building currently owned by the Urban League (pictured; photo by library manager Reggie Wilson). The rally is being planned [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2008, 12:57pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Transportation Policy and Infrastructure Overdose

  Number of comments: 4
  Yesterday I appeared alongside the Courant’s esteemed Tom Condon on an episode of John Dankosky’s show, “Where We Live,” at Hartford-based WNPR. We discussed how Barack Obama’s proposed economic stimulus might benefit Connecticut’s infrastructure. Other guests via phone during the show included Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and Jim Cameron of [...]
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  Posted: December 12, 2008, 2:26pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Civic, Business Leaders in Hartford Urge Speed in Planning Rail

  Number of comments: 5
  A crowd of 40 people gathered Tuesday evening for a public scoping hearing at Hartford’s Union Station to hear plans on the developing New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line. Ralph Trepal, PE (pictured), regional vice-president of Wilbur Smith Associates—headquartered in South Carolina, and ConnDOT’s consultant—led the presentation on the status of the [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2008, 12:42pm EST
  by Robert Cotto

• Public Meeting 12/17 on Longhill Gardens Redevelopment

  Number of comments: 7
  A public meeting on the pending redevelopment of the Longhill Gardens Condominiums complex in Springfield has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, at 7:00 pm, according to an article in today’s Republican.  The public meeting will take place at the Forest Park Middle School and will be hosted by the Forest [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2008, 1:44pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Downtown Library Working to Tighten Security, Conduct

  Number of comments: 5
  The Hartford Courant reported today that the board of directors for the Hartford Public Library agreed yesterday to implement many of the suggestions of a safety and security task force. The task force, convened last summer, recently released an undated document containing recommendations to address numerous complaints. The board also bid an [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2008, 11:04am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Panel on Preparation of Hartford Students Calls for More Engagement

  Number of comments: 4
  A crowd of community and civic leaders met Wednesday night to listen to a distinguished panel speak at Hartford’s downtown library branch about the preparation of the city’s high school students. The panel discussion, entitled, “Raising the Bar: Preparing Hartford’s High School Students to Succeed,” sought to illuminate reforms in [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2008, 9:27am EST
  by Robert Cotto

• Rail Advocacy Group Collecting Petition Signatures 12/4

  Pioneer Valley Advocates for Commuter Rail will collect signatures supporting regional commuter rail on Thursday, December 4. PVACR member and Hatfield resident Nancy Considine will be available from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Holyoke Community College, inside the entrance to the cafeteria in the campus center, also known as [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2008, 4:39pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Connecting via Better Infrastructure

  Number of comments: 7
  An editorial in today’s Hartford Business Journal notes an urgency for business leaders in the area to “get cracking immediately on a detailed list of infrastructure priorities.” The piece cites Barack Obama’s pending job creation effort to invest heavily in infrastructure projects. Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell issued a press [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2008, 1:37pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Azur and Asmar at Real Art Ways

  Playing at Hartford’s Real Art Ways through Sunday, November 30, Azur and Asmar is a French animation film (in English) by Michel Ocelot, brought to the city by GKIDS, which also produces the New York International Film Festival. In an email, Dave Jesteadt of GKIDS called the film “a unique opportunity [...]
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  Posted: November 26, 2008, 11:34am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Barça Restaurant on Hartford’s Park Street

  Number of comments: 5
  [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2008, 11:12am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• The 11th Hour Political Football

  Number of comments: 4
  Frustrated by late-breaking news in the form of a previously confidential, yet technically public document regarding the library controversy in Springfield’s Mason Square, Mayor Domenic Sarno recently shared some controversial comments with reporter and editor Mike Dobbs for the Reminder that have come to be disputed. Now it’s hard to [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2008, 1:02pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Where There’s Crisis, There’s Opportunity

  An event this evening at the downtown library branch in Hartford features a panel of discussants taking on the topic of the local economy. City Councilman James Boucher will moderate the panel, which is titled, “Where There’s Crisis, There’s Opportunity: The Impact of the Current Financial Climate on Hartford and [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2008, 3:47pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Getting the Word Out: Public Meeting Set for 12/10

  Number of comments: 4
  At last night’s brief charter revision commission meeting at Hartford City Hall, there was some discussion about how to get the word out about the public meeting that has been set for Wednesday, December 10, at 6:00 pm to gather initial input. The meeting will take place in City Council chambers [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2008, 1:35pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Nina Totenberg to Speak in Springfield 11/19 on US Supreme Court

  Number of comments: 1
  Nina Totenberg, NPR’s legal affairs correspondent, will speak on Wednesday, November 19, 7:30 pm in Springfield at Symphony Hall downtown (pictured above right), as the season’s final Springfield Public Forum event. The topic of Totenberg’s lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be the US Supreme Court, and [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2008, 11:09am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Single-Stream Pilot in Hartford Doubled Recycled Tonnage

  Number of comments: 1
  In a press release issued today after a City Hall event, Hartford Mayor Perez stated that the single-stream recycling pilot underway in targeted areas of the city has more than doubled recycling tonnage. The program was launched in May. “After 25 weeks of operation,” Perez said, “Hartford’s recycling tonnage has more [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2008, 12:49pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Support Arts for a Cause This Weekend

  Looking for something creative, charitable and community-building to do this weekend? Two arts-related events in Hartford and Springfield can use your support. Environmental Film Festival Saturday night, November 15, the charming Cinestudio theater on the Trinity College campus in Hartford is screening eight short films, sponsored by the local REI store. It [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2008, 11:57am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• White House Office on Urban Policy

  Number of comments: 6
  If you haven’t read through Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s urban policy plan (PDF) yet, there’s no time like the present. As has been widely reported, upon taking office, Obama intends to create a White House Office on Urban Policy, the director of which would report to the president and coordinate [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2008, 2:01pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Key Issues Forum on Regionalism

  Number of comments: 7
  Amy Bergquist of the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog wrote a post today about a panel discussion on regionalism that took place early this morning at the University of Hartford. The event was titled, “Stay Retro or Go Metro?” The panel was set to address the question, what are the [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2008, 1:09pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield City Council Passes Ethics Ordinance

  Number of comments: 5
  The Springfield City Council passed an ethics ordinance [Word Doc; draft version] at its meeting Monday night, effective February 1, 2009. Originally drafted by Councilors Pat Markey and Bruce Stebbins and filed on May 19, it failed to pass. It was filed again on June 2, and this time it [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2008, 10:44am EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Charter Revision Commission Gets Underway

  Number of comments: 2
  The Hartford City Council approved a city charter revision commission last month, and on the evening of November 6 last week, the commission held its first public organizational meeting in City Council chambers to become acquainted, take an oath of office, elect officers, and get a sense of its meeting [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2008, 1:10pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield-UMass Partnership Announcement Today

  Number of comments: 1
  At this time last year, a report (PDF) advocating a strengthened relationship between UMass-Amherst and the City of Springfield was released. Just in via the Local Buzz Twitter feed: an agreement between the city and UMass will be formally announced today, 1:00 pm in Old First Church. According to the media [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2008, 12:23pm EST
  by Heather Brandon

• Agreement Revealed Between Springfield Urban League, Attorney General

  Number of comments: 4
  At last night’s meeting of the Springfield Library Foundation and city officials, a major revelation surfaced about the Springfield Urban League building, which used to be entirely a city library, and might be again, but for now is a too-small excuse for one. On June 20, 2003, City Councilor Pat [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2008, 1:05pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford’s 2nd Senatorial District Candidates Face Off at Forum

  At an October 15 forum downtown, two candidates vying for Connecticut’s second senatorial district seat answered questions from moderator Tom Condon of the Hartford Courant. The district seat represents an area that covers part of Hartford (roughly its northern half), part of Bloomfield, and most of Windsor. Below is a summary [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2008, 12:59pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford’s First Senatorial District Candidates Face Off at Forum

  A candidates’ forum was held on October 15 at the downtown Hartford Public Library for a number of candidates in Connecticut for the state legislature. Among them were the three candidates vying for Connecticut’s first senatorial district seat, representing an area that covers part of Hartford (roughly its southern half) [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2008, 12:39pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford Cuts 132 City Jobs

  Late last Thursday, October 23, Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez’s office announced the city is reducing its work force by 132 jobs in response to a projected budget deficit for the coming fiscal year. The jobs do not affect the police or fire departments. Which jobs exactly were cut is still unknown [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2008, 11:22am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield’s Downtown Dine Around Returns 10/29

  The Downtown Dine Around returns for a second act on Wednesday, October 29 in downtown Springfield, beginning at 5:30 pm with simultaneous registration at three restaurants. Like the similar event last June, the idea is for patrons to enjoy a visit to three different downtown eateries in one evening, at a [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2008, 11:07am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Register for Hartford’s Hooker Day Parade by 10/24

  Number of comments: 1
  Dormant since 2001, the wacky Hooker Day Parade in Hartford is set to take place on Sunday, October 26. A ten-year tradition named after Hartford’s “founding father,” Thomas Hooker, it was begun by former Mayor Mike Peters. According to the event’s Facebook page, the original idea was “to bring some [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2008, 12:02pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford’s Old North Cemetery

  Number of comments: 6
  [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2008, 2:13pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Reconciling Urban Development, Top-Down and Bottom-Up

  Number of comments: 7
  Encouraging and promoting genuine public participation in economic development work can be a challenging task, and winning the support of neighborhood associations and local business communities is often regarded, in the current era, as a key part of any development process. Representatives of the private and public sectors alike are [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2008, 12:21pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Bow Wow to Walk Streets of Hartford Engaging Voters

  Number of comments: 2
  The following press release from Hartford City Councilman Matt Ritter’s office announces an upcoming walk across the city tomorrow, Wednesday, October 15, in an effort to encourage young voters to register. The walk will start at the Artists Collective at 3:00 pm followed by a panel discussion downtown. MTV has an [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2008, 1:28pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Chill Wind Blowing: Councilor Ferrera’s Spending Freeze

  Number of comments: 4
  Local anonymous pundit “NoPolitician” came down hard on City Councilor James Ferrera last night on MassLive.com’s Springfield forum for his call for a spending freeze in the city, apparently printed as a short blurb in the paper version of the Sunday Republican. (The announcement isn’t available online.) NoPolitician ridiculed Ferrera’s idea, [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2008, 11:10am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford City Council Quizzes David Panagore

  Number of comments: 1
  On Monday October 6, Hartford City Council met with Springfield’s outgoing Chief Development Officer David Panagore (pictured), who is Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez’s pick to be the city’s new Director of Development Services. Below is a slightly condensed transcript of the proceedings. Council President Calixto Torres began by welcoming and introducing [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2008, 1:02pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Impunity Restraint Subdue Award

  Number of comments: 1
  Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett, based in Springfield, announced last week that Mayor Domenic Sarno’s Community Complaint Review Board, which handles police-citizen matters, is officially an advisory board of the mayor’s office and is therefore not subject to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. The ruling supported an earlier opinion issued by [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2008, 10:34am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield Union Station Plan Unveiled

  Number of comments: 3
  A proposal (PDF) from HDR, Inc. to redevelop Springfield’s Union Station, which has active Amtrak service on a platform, but has otherwise been a dormant hulk of a downtown building complex for decades, was unveiled today during a morning press conference, as reported this morning by Peter Goonan for the [...]
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  Posted: September 30, 2008, 12:41pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Dusting Off the Keyboard

  Number of comments: 7
  Although I’ve been active on Twitter the past few months of hiatus, including during my trip overseas, I’m dusting off the keyboard and giving the blog another go, at a pace yet to be determined. Since I was last blogging, national politics have swallowed a great deal of my news consumption [...]
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  Posted: September 29, 2008, 12:43pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• New Directions

  Urban Compass is going on hiatus for a while, to accommodate some international travel, the pending inclusion of a UConn urban studies major as a limited-time-only contributor, my own foray into the public policy studies master’s degree program at Trinity College, and some re-envisioning of the purpose of this blog. [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2008, 11:54am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford Cares at Bushnell Park

  Number of comments: 3
  [...]
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  Posted: July 01, 2008, 1:11pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Courant Responds to Hate Speech Concerns

  Number of comments: 1
  In response to Mayor Eddie Perez (pictured) and others’ concerns about anonymous commentary online following Hartford Courant articles in forums hosted by Topix.net, including a June 20 rally staged on the Courant’s front steps, publisher Steve Carver stated in an article in yesterday’s paper that steps are being taken to [...]
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  Posted: June 30, 2008, 3:50pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield’s New Superintendent Takes Office July 1

  Number of comments: 1
  Springfield’s new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Alan Ingram (pictured), will begin his new job on Tuesday, July 1, becoming the first African-American to hold the city’s position. Update 7/1: See below for detailed information about Ingram’s plan of entry. Ingram was selected for the job after a public interview process conducted [...]
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  Posted: June 30, 2008, 1:46pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Pittsfield Mayor Ruberto in Hot Water With State Ethics Commission

  Number of comments: 4
  In March 2005, Pittsfield Mayor James Ruberto (pictured at left) and Dan Duquette (pictured below right), former Red Sox general manager and current owner of the Pittsfield Dukes, signed an agreement to bring the team to the city’s historic, city-owned Wahconah Park for the season. In January 2006, another agreement was [...]
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  Posted: June 30, 2008, 11:41am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Budget-Cut Detritus of the Springfield City Council

  Number of comments: 3
  BUDGET MEETINGS OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL JUNE 16 AND 17, 2008 June 16 Reports of Committees The Veterans, Administration and Human Services Committee met on May 27, June 2 and June 9, 2008. Chairman Ferrera gave a verbal and written report of the committee discussions regarding FY 09 budgets with the following departments: [...]
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  Posted: June 27, 2008, 11:56am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Flights Between Bradley Airport and Amsterdam to End as of October 2

  Number of comments: 3
  Citing increasing fuel prices and decreased demand, Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced yesterday that they are canceling flights between the Hartford-Springfield region’s Bradley International Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The cancellation is effective as of October 1 for flights departing Schiphol, and effective as of October 2 for [...]
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  Posted: June 27, 2008, 9:49am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• City Turns to Arts, Stories, Volunteerism to Assert Strengths

  Number of comments: 5
  An event in Hartford’s Bushnell Park on Monday, June 30, called “Hartford Cares: Conversations, Connections and Commitments To Build a Greater Hartford,” will launch what city officials are hoping will be a series of efforts to foster healing and hope among residents. Billed as a candlelight vigil and headlined by the [...]
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  Posted: June 26, 2008, 3:03pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford City Council Minutes, 6/23/08

  MEETING OF THE HARTFORD COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL JUNE 23, 2008 Communications 1. MAYOR PEREZ, with accompanying resolution de Authorization to adopt in collaboration with the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) the 2008 Capitol Region Pre-Disaster Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency/Department of Homeland Security. Passed 2. [...] [...]
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  Posted: June 26, 2008, 1:40pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• State Street Corridor Project to Break Ground Tuesday

  An effort in Springfield to redesign and provide a major facelift to just over three miles of a major city artery, known as the State Street Corridor Project, will break ground at an event on Tuesday, July 1, 10:30 am at the Putnam Vocational Technical High School, 1300 State Street. The [...]
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  Posted: June 26, 2008, 10:20am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Springfield City Council Minutes, 6/23/08

  MEETING OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL JUNE 23, 2008 Rules of the road 1. Elliot Street and Edwards Street Establishing “Restricted Residential Permit Parking” on both sides of Elliott Street, from Salem Street to Edwards Street, and the East Side from a point 50’ South of Salem Street southerly for 140’, both sides of [...]
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  Posted: June 25, 2008, 6:05am EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Hartford Aiming to Attract, Retain Young Professionals

  Number of comments: 5
  A public meeting tonight at Hartford City Hall, starting at 6:00 pm in council chambers, invites residents to share their thoughts about what the city needs “to attract and retain its young workforce.” The effort, hosted by a new mayorally-appointed Young Professionals Task Force, stems from a resolution (PDF) passed [...]
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  Posted: June 24, 2008, 3:28pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Zoning, Special Permit Requests Before Springfield City Council

  Number of comments: 2
  At tonight’s Springfield City Council meeting, among other agenda items, a few special permit requests are slated for consideration, as well as two zoning changes. Here is a quick rundown along with links to staff analyses by the Office of Planning and Economic Development providing further information, maps and photos [...]
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  Posted: June 23, 2008, 1:54pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Pay-As-You-Throw: Will He or Won’t He?

  Number of comments: 7
  Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has been jerking the city’s chain regarding the municipal trash fee and the possible pay-as-you-throw system currently under consideration. At least, we thought it was under consideration; CBS3 reported last night that Sarno is bagging the whole effort. From Matthew Campbell’s story: After three [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2008, 2:09pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon

• Looking Hard in the Eye of Municipal Sovereignty

  Number of comments: 7
  In an effort to transition Springfield back to full local governance about a year from now, which it has not enjoyed for four years and counting, this year the state-appointed Finance Control Board guiding and limiting many decisions in the city gave budgeting powers to Mayor Domenic Sarno and the [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2008, 1:32pm EDT
  by Heather Brandon