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Sunday, April 25, 2010

AND NOW...A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Julia Pistell, (908) 418-7357 (cell)

HartBeat Ensemble to Perform FlipSide as a Work-in-Progress at Manchester Community College.

HARTFORD, CT. – HartBeat Ensemble, Hartford’s local professional theater ensemble, will perform a workshop version of their newest original work, FlipSide on April 30th, May 1st, 7th, and 8th at 7:30pm at the Manchester Community College Auditorium (MCC). The work is the culmination of hundreds of hours of interviews with the community about the War on Drugs. HartBeat Ensemble will use audience feedback and talk-back discussions to finalize the production for its official premier next year.



Using rhythmic choreography and spoken word poetry from local poets MIRA and MIND EVOLUTION, FlipSide tells the story of two drug warriors on opposite sides of the drug war. FlipSide is a story that uses spoken word, addicting rhythm sticks and

potent characters to portray the war on drugs. To write the play, HartBeat conducted a huge range of interviews and says, “we are excited to present a well-rounded, deeply thought play that will help us all examine this all-to-familiar topic in a new way. We invite the audience to be the final contributors to our new work.”

FlipSide is being work-shopped as part of HartBeat’s New Play Institute in collaboration with Manchester Community College. While conducting the Institute, HartBeat works for a period “in residence” while also teaching MCC theater students to create their own original work on the same topic. The final outcome of the partnership is the debut of a new play in development. The New Play Institute fosters an environment of experimentation and creativity for both the Ensemble and MCC students and offers audiences the chance to experience new theatrical work in its early stages. Admission is $5 general admission and free for students with student identification. Each performance will be followed by a discussion of the play.

During the research phase of this project, HartBeat worked with Dr. Robert Painter of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy to accumulate empirical information on the topic of drug policy. During this time HartBeat also conducted interviews with many people who have themselves been involved in some way with the underground drug economy. HartBeat interviewed ex-offenders, ex-addicts, health workers, law enforcement, drug counselors, and policy makers. This interview process aimed to create performances that were complex and true to real life.

The performance will be held at the Manchester Community College Auditorium (Great Path, Manchester, CT) at 7:30 on April 30th, May 1st, May 7th, and May 8th.

Reservations can be made by emailing julia.pistell@hartbeatensemble.org.
The mission of HartBeat Ensemble is to create original, professional theater based on stories from the people of our community. Through Mainstage plays, Open-Air performances, and Education programs, HartBeat Ensemble makes theater accessible beyond the barriers of class, race, and gender. Their last major production was Ebeneeza: A Hartford Holiday Carol, which traveled through four of Hartford’s neighborhoods and drew in new and diverse audiences.

ANOTHER ROSIE APPEAL THAT MAKES YOU WONDER


Some days, actually most days, you just have to scratch your head in wonderment and ask how John Rose still has a job, never mind a law license.

You may recall that late last year Hartford Corporation Counsel John Rose advised the City Council that the Murtha lawsuit was a stinker of a case and should be settled. The Hartford City Council ignored Rosie's advice and dug their heels in. Eventually the Court decided in Murtha's favor and awarded him damages.

Now, even though Rosie acknowledged the case stunk and the city should settle, he is now appealing the Murtha decision once again in court.

I know, I know, you are probably asking yourselves if he knew they were going to lose and predicted that, why would Rosie now spend the money to appeal? Good question, but look who you are dealing with. Whether it is FOI decisions or Court decisions, Rosie has no problem spending the taxpayers money in Hartford on these eventual losses.

Rosie's next date with destiny is scheduled to begin in New Haven Superior Court on May 24, 2010 at 10:00am.

Open the checkbook, Rosie's on the way.

THE PREDATORS AMONG US


This afternoon my phone rang and it was a call from the Working Family's Registrar of Voters Urania Petit. It was in the middle of the Red Sox game where the Sox had just scored to take the lead. I was almost ready to let voice mail grab the call, but I figured for Urania to be calling on a Sunday afternoon, something must be going on. Maybe she was calling to tell me Eddie cut a deal, that would definitely be better than any Red Sox win.

Something was going on, but it wasn't the deal I had hoped for.

Urania had just received a call from Father Emmanuel from Saint Michaels Church on Clark Street asking for her help. Apparently one of Father Emmanuels parishioners had parked in Saint Michael's Church parking lot to attend Mass. When she came out her car was gone. Luckily for the parishioner it wasn't stolen by an unknown person.

The car was actually "stolen" by a driver from Whitey's Towing Service. For those not familiar with Whitey's, they are predatory towers preying on some of Hartford's most vulnerable residents exercising what they call "trespass tows". They have contracts with many property owners to remove vehicles that park on lots where they apparently aren't authorized to park.

The problem is that they do this without any, or very little, oversight. Whitey's knows that many of the vehicles they tow are from people that can't or won't fight back, and the only way to recover your vehicle is to pay the $90.00 or more fee.

After Father Emmanuel's parishioner realized the car had been towed by Whitey's, he drove her to Whitey's West Service Road goldmine, also known as the impound lot. There the driver who towed the vehicle spoke with Father Emmanuel. He refused to release the vehicle until the $90.00 fee was paid. He apparently described to Father Emmanuel how he had towed the vehicle from alongside the church near the side fire escape.

Father Emmanuel questioned how they could do that and the driver replied that Saint Michael's had a signed contract with Whitey's to remove the vehicles. Even though there were no signs warning violators about the towing as required by State regulations, the driver refused to give back the vehicle.

That's when Urania called me, she must know I love a good fight, especially when the Giant is abusing the little guy.

I met with Father Emmanuel at Saint Michael's Church, he showed me exactly where the car was parked and related most of the above information to me. My next call was to the Hartford Police to become involved. They requested we go back to Whitey's and wait for the officer to arrive. We did and shortly thereafter three officers showed up and they spoke with the driver.

After speaking to the driver the Officer's came back to us and stated it was a civil matter since the Whitey's driver showed him a contract signed by an Arthur Teale for towing at 17-19 Clark Street. OOPS, the problem is that Saint Michael's Church is 7-9
Clark Street, not 17-19.

It seems like that should have been a simple matter at that point, a mistake was made, return the car, end of story.

Nope, the Whitey's driver was still insisting that the $90.00 fee be paid and that the car owner would have to come back to the office on Monday to rectify the matter and get a refund.

At that point I asked the officer for a supervisor to intervene in the situation. The officer resplied to me that "supervisors don't come to you, you have to go to 50 Jennings Road". Whether the officer realized it or not, he was interrupting the Red Sox game for me, and that was not the answer I wanted, or expected, to hear.

At that point I once again explained to the officer that there were a few problems with the tow. First off that the property at Saint Michael's was not posted for "trespass" towing as required by the State of Connecticut. Second, the driver himself admitted he had towed the vehicle from the wrong address without any authority or permission to tow the car.

For anyone else that would constitute motor vehicle theft and taking the car without the owners permission. It would seem that would no longer make it a civil matter, and the drivers actions were criminal. Especially after he admitted his mistake, the car should have been returned immediately.

Again I requested a supervisor and the officer again refused. As much as I didn't want to involve Chief Roberts in a matter like this on a Sunday afternoon, there are times when it is good to have him in your speed dial.

When the two officers there realized that I was calling the Chief, a quick conversation was held with the Whitey's driver by the officers and not surprisingly, the decision was made to return the vehicle to its owner.

Chief Roberts assured me he will be following up on this tomorrow as to the way it was handled and the fact that even after repeated requests for a supervisor, no supervisor was requested. I have every confidence that some "customer service" training classes will be in a couple of officers immediate future.

It is time for both the City Council and the State's Attorney's Office to launch an immediate investigation into predatory towing practices in Hartford. At the very least, an ordinance regulating these towing practices needs to be looked at and imposing severe penalties for incidents just such as today's

It will be interesting to FOI the Hartford Police Departments record of complaints against Whitey's Towing and others preying on Hartford's residents and visitors to the City.

The end result is the car owner got her vehicle back, but I am far from done with this one. If you have any information regarding Whitey's or similar such incidents, please feel free to e-mail me any details at krbrookman@earthlink.net, or if you would like, post them here.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

IT SHOULD BE AN INTERESTING NIGHT FOR "1 HARTFORD"


We usually record the "1HARTFORD" program on Thursday mornings.
This week though we will be recording tonight. Our guest this week is Dan Malloy, former Stamford Mayor and candidate for Governor. In order to accommodate his schedule we are doing the program tonight.

It should be an interesting program. I have to say, not knowing much about Malloy before I started doing my research on him, I'm impressed.

One of 8 children who was at one point referred to as "retarded" due to learning disabilities, and rose above his disabilities to become an attorney. He eventually became the Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York with an impressive record. He returned to Stamford, his hometown, in 1995 and was elected Mayor by a landslide.

At that time, Stamford was very close to what Hartford is today, less the corruption.
Out of control crime, businesses and resident's fleeing, a depressed city sliding backwards. Malloy and his team were able to reduce crime by 64% and eventually was rated one of the 10 safest cities in America.

As impressed as I am, it's not a propaganda program for him. We will be asking some tough questions about why he should be our next Governor.

Be sure to watch the program here when it is uploaded.

IS THE IMPLOSION IMMINENT?

I usually have enough to keep me occupied focusing on Hartford issues, but for some reason I love the Courant's Bob Englehart's common sense interpretation of issues and this drawing caught my attention.

It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

TIME FOR A "WE THE PEOPLE" CALL TO ACTION


ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!

In a city that has been run for almost ten years through corruption and incompetence, it now seems that we are rising to a new height. In a city as financially depressed as Hartford, Mayor Perez is once again proposing a tax increase, an increase in spending, and no mention of controlling or reducing spending.

Yesterday when I posted the proposed budget, the response from blog readers was almost immediate. It is time to be heard and make a change.

I couldn't agree more and a few of you have stepped up to offer to help begin organizing demonstrations at budget hearing and Council meetings.

The time is now to start taking back our city and our local government.

The name of this blog was never more fitting than now.

Let's start by making our voices heard at next Tuesday's Budget comment session at Bulkeley High School. The hearing will be held at Bulkeley High at 300 Wethersfield Avenue, beginning at 6:00PM.

I'll post more on this in the next couple days, but from the couple people that have stepped up to help, we want to be there and be heard. Signs, banners, chanting, loud voices, bring it all as we send a clear message to the Mayor and Council that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Instead of residents and businesses talking about packing and leaving, maybe it is time to send the politicians who refuse to listen packing instead.

NO MORE TAX INCREASES!!! Instead let's send the message to politicians that it is time to end the frivolous travel. It is time to end "drivers" and other frills for the Mayor. No more "training sessions" at the Orlando Palms for a dozen people at the City's expense. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

If you are part of a group that can turn people out, or even if you just want to bring a few of your neighbors, the time is now. Taxpayers in Hartford can't take anymore of this insane spending.

Feel free to call me or e-mail if you can help organize this demonstration and as always, feel free to post your comments here.

It is time to end the talking and begin the action.