SATURDAY'S UPS AND DOWNS

Isn't this the way Hartford should be every weekend?

Saturday started as a cloudy, overcast rainy day. The day began as we prepared to bury a good friend to us and to Hartford, former Councilman John O'Connell. The funeral mass was a time to recall anecdotes about John, some shared by the priest who apparently knew John well. His son Jay's euology drew on many pleasant memories and even a few comical stories, similar to those John used to love to tell. Many of them brought smiles and nods from the people in attendance as we recalled the John O'Connell we knew.

I was honored to be asked to be one of the pall bearers and thought about the many things I have learned from John over the few years we have been friends. I used to always laugh it off when people referred to me as the "young John O'Connell" when they would see me stirring things up at City Hall, especially the last couple years when John's health didn't always allow him to be as involved as he loved to be.

If I could make the change and contribute to Hartford as well as John did, I would be honored to be compared to him any day. As anyone who knew John can attest, Robert's Rules of Order was sometimes the strongest weapon he had in his artillery. Well, that combined with his intelligence and his strong presence. I was grateful when John's wife Carol gave me permission to put my personal copy of Robert's Rules of Order in the casket with John to be buried with him (along with a piece of my campaign literature folded inside for good luck). It's the Irish thing I guess.

I won't go into detail at this point, but the police escort became a big deal Friday evening for all the wrong reasons.Thank you to Chief Roberts, Mayor Segarra and Captain William Long for getting it done The police escort provided for the funeral procession was impressive and I'm sure made John's family very proud of the respect that was shown to him on the way to his final resting place. I especially want to thank Sergeant John Bremser from the Traffic Division for pulling it all together and making the escort happen. Sgt. Bremser, Lt. Kevin Ahlquist and Officer Kevin Nesta were all very impressive as they escorted the procession along I-84 and I-91 on the way to the cemetery.

John would have been very proud knowing both 84 and 91 were shut down temporarily for his procession, although he probably would have also been questioning the cost and were the cops being paid overtime and where was the money allocated in the budget.

It was also ironic that downtown Hartford and the Riverfront were bustling with Irish spirit Saturday for "Pipes in the Valley" , held at Riverfront Plaza. John was always extremely proud of his Irish heritage and to see the large crowds celebrating the Irish spirit would have had John beaming with pride in both his Irish culture and the hospitality of the City he loved.

You couldn't help but realize the potential that John always saw in Hartford and realize why he fought so hard to make our City a better place when you stood on the plaza and look at the Marriott, the Convention Center and the great lines of the Connecticut Science Center.

For some reason , I think John was right there with us enjoying the sounds of the bagpipes spilling out over Hartford, the Connecticut River and beyond.