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Friday, July 8, 2016

HFD HEAT RELATED EFFORTS

From the Hartford Fire Department:

HARTFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT
253 High Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06103
Telephone:  (860) 757-4500
On July 6and July 7 The Hartford Fire Department Special Services Unit, along with the Hartford Fire Cadets, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) distributed over 2016 water bottles and provided ice to various locations throughout Hartford in order to assist residents and visitors potentially having heat related emergencies and in need of cooling assistance. The following locations are just some of the few visited by our team:

Bus Stops throughout the entire City of Hartford
Parks and Playgrounds
Keney Park
DeLucco Park
Lozada Park
Sigourney Park
Forester Heights
South Park
Hyland and Rocky Ridge Park
Pope Park
Goodwin Park
Colt Park
Bushnell Park
And Streets surrounding the Homeless Shelters: Mercy, South Park Inn, House of Bread,  Immaculate Conception,  Mc Kinney
Colleges: Trinity  and Capital Community College  
Main Roads (Main Street, Albany Ave., Park Street, Wethersfield Ave. Franklin Ave. Farmington Ave., Asylum Ave., New Britain Ave., Hillside Ave., Flatbush Ave. New Park Ave.  Etc.……) 

The Fire department is committed to providing the upmost level of care to all residents and visitors of Hartford and is already in preparation for its next anticipated heat wave or other weather related emergency.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO DO THE RIGHT THING

 
 
Word is that Gislaine  Ngounou is out as the Chief of Staff to Hartford's Superintendent of Schools.

Ngounou failed miserably this year to protect a child that was being preyed upon by another high ranking Hartford Schools employee, Eduardo Genao. Genao was eventually arrested after an investigation by the Hartford Police Department 

You can read more about Genao and Ngounou here

In an email to Hartford Schools employees Thursday Ngounou stated that "Faced with a constant slew of negative attention and poisonous narratives that have done little more than seek to further divide and distract us, ...you continue to do whatever it takes to face the truth, to listen and learn, to focus on the work at hand — even when it becomes personally and professionally painful."

Maybe if she had done the job she was paid almost $180,000 for and entrusted to do, it would have never become "negative or poisonous". Ngounou failed the children of Hartford and the Hartford Schools.

WE HAVE UPSET THE KING


Hartford's Mayor Luke Bronin " the Grinch who stole Riverfest". Will he strike again at Christmastime and steal Winterfest also, what about next years St. Patrick's Day Parade?
 
I understand the need to get our financial house in order. No one is going to agree with all of the decisions being made, but I seriously have to question the rationale behind some of the cuts.
 
It almost seems like we as loyal servants are now going to feel the wrath of the King for not following the lead as royal subjects must do.
 
Especially in light of some of the decisions and the associated  hidden costs that those decisions are going to place on us.
 
Take for example the Stadium. We haven't even begun to see the litigation costs, and eventual settlements associated with the decision to throw the developer off the project. And we know there is going to be litigation that threatens to tie the project up potentially for years as cases wind their way through our courts.
 
The only ones to benefit from that litigation will be the attorneys, and since the Office of the Corporation seems unable to function in real Courts, it will most likely be all outside Counsel paid for by Hartford's taxpayers
 
We have already seen the additional costs for the lapsed insurance on the Stadium as a result of Mayor Bronin terminating Centerplan from the stadium project. How much of that cost could have been applied toward Winterfest or Riverfest?
 
We have also seen the additional cost of a 24/7 round the clock "fire watch" being required at the Stadium. Probably at least a couple thousand dollars a day for the firefighters "PJ" pay. 3 firefighters per shift times 3 shifts a day times 7 days a week will add up quickly. How much of that cost could have been applied to Riverfest?
 
Putting the stadium aside, where else are we wasting money. Do we really need a full time legislative liason, especially when the Legislature is only in session for less than half the year. And did we really get our money's worth out of that position this year. I think I recall the big Bronin initiative at the legislature  this year was  Senate Bill 464. That bill is still smoldering on the North lawn of the Capitol after it crashed and burned in resounding style
 
And now a CFO and Finance Director. I would expect the CFO to at least be able to pay his car taxes to the city on time. Many of Hartford's people have had difficult times paying their car tax bills at our exorbitant mill rate, but I would hope the CFO that is going to supposedly be managing our money was able to pay his own tax bill on time. (thank you to Representative Matt Ritter and others for passing legislation that provided  much need relief for cities like Hartford and their auto tax rates)
 
Now I will be the first to admit, that with Hartford's outrageous mill rate, car tax payments for myself and probably hundreds of other Hartford residents were not always a priority. But I would expect the City's potential Finance Director, who oversees the Tax Department, would be one of the people who would pay their car taxes on time.
 
I am not in the running for the position of Chief Financial Officer, if there is even such a position in Hartford, but I would think that the Mayor would check the financial background of anyone he was considering to nominate for that position. Especially the person who would manage a half  billion dollar budget. Things like wage executions in Norfolk Virginia or delinquent taxes in Hartford might be telling and say something about their financial expertise (or lack therof)



Wednesday, July 6, 2016

JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

HARTFORD'S LARGEST NON PRODUCING ASSET,BESIDE CITY HALL  (but for how much longer?)


I think sometimes we tend to ignore the facts and listen to the rhetoric a little too much.
As we have a ballpark sitting empty with a price tag that ,when all is added up, will probably be well over $100 million dollars in actual and so far hidden costs. (land acquisition, legal fees, the City's hired  Construction rep, infrastructure and street repairs, etc,etc)
It is time we start focusing on the facts and get this project back on track, and quickly. The childish petulent responses from City Hall are doing nothing to resolve a bad situation, in fact they are probably only making it worse.
Below is a fact sheet put out to the public today by Centerplan and DONO, LLC, the developers of the project thrown off site by Luke Bronin.
No one has been perfect in this mess, but it is time to start talking and acting like adults and come to a reasonable resolution instead of trying to move closer to bankruptcy for our City.

JUST THE FACTS PLEASE

I think sometimes we tend to ignore the facts and listen to the rhetoric a little too much.
As we have a ballpark sitting empty with a price tag that ,when all is added up, will probably be well over $100 million dollars in actual and so far hidden costs. (land acquisition, legal fees, the City's hired  Construction rep, infrastructure and street repairs, etc,etc)
It is time we start focusing on the facts and get this project back on track, and quickly. The childish petulent responses from City Hall are doing nothing to resolve a bad situation, in fact they are probably only making it worse.
Below is a fact sheet put out to the public today by Centerplan and DONO, LLC, the developers of the project thrown off site by Luke Bronin.
No one has been perfect in this mess, but it is time to start talking and act like adults and come to a reasonable resolution instead of trying to move closer to bankruptcy for our City.

HFD ANNOUNCES COOLING CENTER LOCATIONS

Hartford Fire Department identifies cooling centers and tips to beat this heat

The Hartford Fire Department wants to remind everyone that with the upcoming heat wave and the heat index expected to be at least 90 and up to 94 between the hours of 11:00am and 4:00pm, to drink plenty of water and avoid long term exposure to the sun as much as possible. If at all possible please apply sunscreen approved by your physician and wear light breathable clothing. Also, if you have to be outdoors please try and stay in shaded areas and do not leave pets outdoors.
The Hartford Fire Department Special Services Division will be visiting bus stops, playgrounds, and other places of public assembly to pass out cold water from 11:00am – 5:00pm.

And please look in your vehicle before you lock and walk away from your vehicle.

Here is a list of cooling centers and other alternatives to cool down during this heat:

List of Cooling Centers :
  • North End Senior Center, 80 Coventry Street, Time: 8:30am-5:00pm
  • South End Wellness Center, 830 Maple Avenue, Time: 8:30am-5:00pm 
  • Parkville Senior Center, 11 New Park Avenue, Time: 8:30am-3:30pm    

Public Pools will be open to families at the following locations :
  • Colt Park Pool, 106 Wethersfield Avenue, Time: 12:00pm-6:00pm
  • Goodwin Pool, 1130 Maple Avenue, Time: 12:00pm-6:00pm
  • Keney Park Pool, 471 Tower Avenue, Time: 12:00pm-6:00pm
The Hartford Public Library is available for residents and visitors. Below are hours of operation :
  • Hartford Downtown Public Library, 500 Main Street, Time: Wed-Thurs 10:00am-8:00pm, Fri 10:00am-5:00pm
  • Albany Library Branch, 1250 Albany Avenue, Time: Wed-Thurs 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri 12:30pm-5:00pm
  • Barbour Branch, 281 Barbour Street, Time: Wed-Thurs 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri 12:00pm-5:00pm
  • Camp Field Branch, 30 Campfield Avenue, Time: Wed-Thurs 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri 12:00pm-5:00pm
  • Dwight Branch, 7 New Park Avenue, Time: Wed-Thurs 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri 12:00pm-5:00pm
  • Mark Twain Branch, 55 Forest Street, Time: Wed-Fri 1:00pm-5:00pm
  • Park Branch, 744 Park Street, Time: Wed-Thurs 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri 12:00pm-5:00pm
  • SANDS/Ropkins, 1750 Main Street, Time: Wed-Thurs 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri 12:30pm-5:00pm
  • Goodwin, 460 New Britain Avenue, Time: Wed-Thurs 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri 12:00pm-5:00pm
  • Blue Hills Branch, 649 Blue Hills Avenue, Time: Wed-Thurs 11:00am-6:00pm, Fri 12:00pm-5:00pm
Contact: Captain Raul Ortiz