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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

HIS LUCKY DAY

A young man was shot in the area of 83 Bushnell Street early this afternoon. Shot spotter apparently worked and calls for multiple gunshots came in shortly after noon today. Police located the victim who had been shot in the chest. Normally that is not a good thing, but the bullet bounced off the victims sternum, and no serious injuries occurred.

The victim was not totally unscathed though as the Connecticut State Police had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and he was promptly taken into custody and turned over to CSP.

The victim had been shot previously in 2010 and survived that shooting also

Monday, July 15, 2013

HARTFORD ANNOUNCES COOLING CENTERS

From the Mayor's Office
 
CITY OF HARTFORD ANNOUNCES COOLING CENTER HOURS

 

--- NEWS AND COMMUNITY STATEMENT---

 

(July 15, 2013) With temperatures expected to be in the mid to high 90's this week, City officials have ordered the opening of four cooling centers in the City of Hartford. Members of the Hartford Fire Department’s Special Services Unit will distribute water bottles on site. An air quality alert is also in effect for the Hartford area. Residents are encouraged to take proper precautions and stay out of the heat if possible.

Hartford Cooling Centers:

                 North End Senior Center, 80 Coventry Street, 8:30am-5:00pm

                 South End Wellness Center, 830 Maple Avenue, 8:30am-4:30pm

                 Parkville Senior Center, 11 New Park Avenue, 8:30am-3:30pm

                 Hispanic Health Council, 175 Main Street, 8:30am-4:30pm

 

The Hartford Public Library is available for residents and visitors.  Below are hours of operation:

                 Hartford Downtown Public Library, 500 Main Street, 10:00AM to 8:00PM

                 Albany Library Branch, 1250 Albany Avenue, 12:30PM to 5:30PM

                 Barbour Branch, 281 Barbour Street,  12:30PM to 5:30PM

                 Camp Field Branch, 30 Campfield Avenue, 12:30PM to 5:30PM

                 Mark Twain Branch, 55 Forest Street,  12:30PM to 5:30PM

                 Park Branch, 744 Park Street, 12:30PM to 5:30PM

                 SANDS/Ropkins, 1750 Main Street, 12:30PM to 5:30PM

                 Goodwin, 460 New Britain Avenue, 12:30PM to 7:30PM

                 Blue Hills Branch, 649 Blue Hills Avenue,  12:30PM to 7:30PM

 

Sunday, July 14, 2013

LEARN CPR AT HARTFORD CITY HALL TOMORROW

Short notice on this, but I just got it tonight.


VERY FRUSTRATING

 
I was so upset this evening. We have some real beautiful parks in Hartford  and I'm not sure people appreciate them enough . I was driving near the arch in Bushnell Park tonight, and I saw a Ford explorer in the Park buried up to its axles in mud tearing up the lawn as it tried to get out pulled by a Friendly's wrecker . An HPD Officer , Car 65, sat in his car, also parked by the Arch, and to the best of my knowledge  doing nothing. Not even call it in for another car to come take care of it

Fortunately I had the cell number for Deputy Chief Rodriguez who  I contacted and he called it in and had an officer there within a couple minutes to document the damage and get the vehicle owners information and insurance information so we aren't on the hook for a large amount of damage to the park.

 Hopefully the vehicle owner had insurance to cover their ignorance driving into the water logged park.

Icing on the cake was the police officer who sat by and watched it all and did nothing, threatened to give me a ticket for parking on the sidewalk while I waited for a real cop to show up and do his job. Only in Hartford.  I was incredulous when I asked him if he was serious. He sat and watched a car tear up the park for probably close to a half hour and did nothing, but he was going to give me a ticket for pulling off onto the sidewalk,

Thank you Chief Rodriguez and Officer Murtha, Shame on you Officer Bustamante.

A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Facebook sometimes serves a purpose,other than wasting time. Today I found a posting that intrigued me. It was called "thoughts of an old farmer"

One of the old farmers thoughts was this:

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'

It immediately struck me as something that might benefit our Mayor and those at City Hall.

I'll be posting them daily as I can.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Last night just about every network broke into programming to announce the verdict in the Zimmerman Trial. This morning you can't watch television or go on the Internet or social media without Zimmerman or Trayvan Martin being prominently mentioned. Comment after comment on Facebook , everyone has an opinion regarding the trial and most are more than willing to voice it, some making sense, others acting like fools.

No matter what your opinion or what you think of the verdict, bottom line is it was a tragedy, a young man is dead, and that is not going to change.

One commenter on a national news channel made the point  that the killing couldn't be a racist act because Zimmerman is technically Hispanic and it was shown that he had black friends. I am not going to that into that aspect, it is just crazy to think that anyone is immune to racist acts  because of their race.

But here is the reason for my posting. Everyone is familiar with the names Trayvan and Zimmerman, it is the national buzz words today. But who can name a recent homicide victim for me that has been gunned down on our streets. When was the last time you heard anyone speak the name Shane Oliver or Javar Preston.

 These are just two of Hartford's homicide, both young black men,just two of the hundreds killed in Hartford over the last ten years, victims whose lives were taken early by violence. They may have not been shot in a gated community by a white guy, but do their deaths deserve any less attention.  Do you think CNN will break in when Shane Oliver's killers verdict is announced?

The only person I have heard mention Shane is his  father , Pastor Sam Saylor at a vigil. I remember his passionate pleas  the days after the murder. "His name was Shane" Saylor preached as he implored the crowd to remember his murdered son.

Are Hartford's homicides and the hundreds of young black men gunned down every year across our country any less significant because of the race of the shooter? Or maybe we have become desensitized because the general consensus is usually that if they are out on the streets at night, they must be up to no good.

Both of Hartford's homicides this week occurred in broad daylight. Both young men, under 25 I am told, at least one had a young child. One fatally shot on the grounds of an elementary school, the other close to the campus of Trinity College.

I only wish that all of the people that take the time to post on Facebook realize the travesty that is going on in their own neighborhoods and take the same interest in making a difference here. Take the time and try to mentor a young person. Take the time to go to a Council meeting and demand safer streets. Take the time to make a difference  and use your voices where they are needed, right here at home.

"His name was Shane" if nothing else remember that