The Economic of an Aging Population

by turfgrrl on February 9, 2010 9:54 am · 0 comments

In the 2000 Census, some 470,000 of Connecticut’s 3.4 million residents were 65 or over. What do you think that population is now? Projections by the Connecticut Commission on Aging predict a 64% increase, which means somewhere north of 800,000 residents. Or nearly 25% of all residents. That doesn’t bode well for municipalities depending on an active workforce sustaining a vibrant commercial real estate market.

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How Much Is That Legislator In The Window?

by turfgrrl on February 8, 2010 8:41 pm · 2 comments

Okay, legislators may not be for sale … yet … but they are a dime a dozen up in Hartford. And  how they spend tax payer money, is of course of interest to all of us. That’s why Connpolitics.tv is reporting that a new web site is in town, er the state, and it is casting open the office of the comptrollers records so that we all can take a look at who the state is busy writing check to. It’s called, appropriately enough, ctsunlight.org. Check it out.

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A Bonding They Will Go-Go

by turfgrrl on February 8, 2010 10:07 am · 1 comment

What separates Norwalk from Stamford and New Haven when it comes to getting things built? Well we look no farther than bonds, municipal bonds. Harbor Point, the place where we keep reading about corporate relocations heading into, just received $145 million in a bond sale. The Advocate reports the details:

“This financing is the largest of its kind since the credit crisis began, made possible by the project’s location, private and public support, and experienced development team,” said Ramiro Albarran, a managing director at Stone & Youngberg.

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City of Manchester Wants To Demolish Decrepit Building

by turfgrrl on February 8, 2010 7:46 am · 0 comments

The Courant has this news item about a former motel and restaurant building in Manchester.

The fight over the former Willie’s Steak House will continue in Superior Court in Hartford Wednesday.

The property owner is battling the town’s plan to demolish the building that used to house a restaurant/banquet hall and motel. Arguments center on the building’s structural integrity and whether the owner even has the right to contest the planned demolition in court.

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They Are Circling The Wagons Against Bysiewicz

by turfgrrl on February 8, 2010 6:25 am · 1 comment

It was 1998, the dot com boom was in full swing and the  state Democrats were holding their convention and desperately trying to avoid an all white ticket. The position on the Democratic slate for secretary of state was being battled between Ellen Scalettar and Susan Bysiewicz at the nominating convention and in a rollcall vote, convention delegates nominated Ellen Scalettar for Secretary of State. with Ellen Scalettar pulling in 849 votes to  Susan Bysiewicz’s 613. But Bysiewicz really, really wanted to be secretary of state. So she filed to primary, and then launched what Dems like to refer as the meanest attack campaign against a fellow Democrat.

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Fixing Norwalk One Click At A Time

by turfgrrl on February 7, 2010 2:21 pm · 3 comments

If you haven’t noticed, over at the upper left corner of this web site is a new spot for the “See Click Fix” campaign. See Click Fix, is a web site started up by a couple of New Haven residents who wanted to see the City of New Haven improve. What started local, grew viral and now pretty much any city is represented on the site. But sadly not enough of Norwalk’s trash, pot hole and other quality of life issues are up on the site.

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Breaking: Middletown Powerplant Explosion

by turfgrrl on February 7, 2010 12:33 pm · 1 comment

NBC is reporting

Dozens of injuries are reported at a power plant explosion in Middletown Sunday morning.

The explosion happened around 11:30 a.m. at the Kleen Energy Plant on River Road.

Reached by phone, plant general manger Gordon Holk said he was enroute to the plant, and did want to speculate on the number of injured.  He said the plant is a 620 megawatt gas-fired power plant.

People Durham, Wallingford, Middlefield, East Hampton and as far away as Madison and Old Saybrook reported feeling the explosion.  Black smoke was seen billowing the plant along the banks of the Connecticut River.

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Recession Is Just About Over, But Norwalk Faces Challenges

by turfgrrl on February 7, 2010 12:27 pm · 14 comments

One of the more perplexing things about local politics these days is the complete lack of understanding most people have about basic economics. And by most people, I not only refer to the people who come out of the conspiracy closets to rail against one thing or another, but the people who are elected to serve as our governmental leaders.

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In A Pop Culture Not To Far, Far, Away …

by turfgrrl on February 6, 2010 10:23 am · 6 comments

For decades now, people have been meeting in secret to discuss one of the most important cultural icons ever to grace the screen. I’m talking of course about Jar Jar Binks. Finally, this network of people have found a voice through a documentary film, that compiled a love letter of sorts to George Lucas. The trailer for The People V. George Lucas:

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Can’t Leave Them In Cars, Can’t Leave Them At Home

by turfgrrl on February 6, 2010 8:22 am · 0 comments

After the rash of mothers arrested for leaving children in cars, Connecticut brings you the latest headline with a potential ten year jail stint–

Woman Charged With Leaving Boy Home Alone

hrrm, Home Alone… er, I digress. The boy showed up at a neighbors house, well let’s just go the Courant report:

police say she left her 9-year-old son home alone while she went to work and he showed up at a neighbor’s with gasoline spilled on himself.

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