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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

WANTED FUGITIVE LOCATED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS ASSISTING HARTFORD POLICE


Jason Negron was profiled in Sunday's Hartford Courant as a person wanted by the Hartford Police Department for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14 year old family member.

The Courant reported that:

HARTFORD — — Police are looking for a man who they believe raped a 14-year-old family member in the fall of 2009 and is evading arrest.

Police say that Jason Negron, aka "Drops," 30, of Hartford is addicted to crack cocaine and heroin and knows that police have an active felony warrant for his arrest.

Negron is 5-feet-10, 175 pounds and has noticeable teardrops tattooed on his left check, near the corner of his left eye.

Police say that he frequents the Frog Hollow, Barry Square and Bellevue Square neighborhoods to buy drugs, but that he may be in New York, where he has family members.

Negron has suicidal ideations and a history of firearms and drug arrests, according
to police. Extreme caution should be taken by anyone coming into contact with him.

Police ask anyone with information about Negron's whereabouts to call 860-757-4342.


On Monday afternoon, community members called the Hartford Police to report that Negron was walking north on Maple Avenue. Officers responded and according to sources, Negron was located inside a bodega with a hoodie pulled over his head trying to keep himself from being recognized. Apparently that "clever disguise" combined with the teardrop tattoos didn't work too well and officers promptly took him into custody

Another good example of the community and the police working together.

Monday, October 18, 2010

THIS ACTUALLY SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE


Yesterday I got one of those "chain" type e-mails regarding Congressional reform. Normally I would just have deleted it, but it actually seemed to make sense.

With the approval ratings for Congress at an all time low, and the "anti-incumbent" backlash seeming ready to take its toll November 2nd, these ideas really make sense.

Since this would affect politicians, the same politicians who make our laws, I doubt it would go anywhere, but it just seems to make sense.What do you think?

This is the text of the e-mail below:

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only
take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the
message. Maybe it is time.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

**********************************

CONGRESSIONAL REFORM ACT OF 2010:

1. Term Limits. 12 years only, one of three possible options below:

A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in
office and receives no pay when he/she is out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social
Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social
Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all
Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional
pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in
the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the
American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective
1/1/11. The American people did not make these contracts with
Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers
envisioned citizen legislators who serve their term(s), then go home
and back to work.

ASSIST CANCER RESEARCH, BEFRIEND THE COURANT ON FACEBOOK



The Hartford Courant and Fox CT have teamed up to help in the fight against breast cancer. You can help out by becoming a fan on their Facebook Pages. For every new Fan that signs up during the month of October the Courant and FoxCT will donate $1 to the Connecticut Chapter of Susan G. Komen. They have increased their maximum donation to $2,000.

Become a Fan and let your friends know about this by sharing the link.

Click here for the Courant's Facebook page


UPDATE: 4:15 pm MONDAY- I tried the link to sign up on Facebook and can't seem to find the usual "send friend request". If anyone can figure how to sign up as a friend on Facebook for the Courant or Fox CT, please feel free to post it here. I tried calling the Courant and couldn't reach a human who answered the phone.

WHAT IS UP WITH THE GUNS?


Two innocent women have been murdered as the result of gun violence in Hartford's streets over the last couple weeks. Several other women have been shot as a result of gun violence, one of them resulting in the loss of an unborn child.

If that isn't enough to spark outrage, which it doesn't seem to have done yet, the other end of the spectrum is just as troubling, if not more so.

The number of shooting attempts and people firing at Hartford Police Officers has also seen a large increase. The number of innocent women shot alarms me but the fact that some think nothing of firing at our police officers should really worry us. What does that say about our society that the thugs running our streets with guns are also willing to take the life of a police officer.

Would they think twice about shooting any of us, would they have a second thought about shooting a mother holding a baby in her arms? It seems as though the answer would be no.

I also have to say that I am troubled by the responses to these shootings also.

I realize that under the previous administration any requests for outside assistance were thought to be seen as a sign of weakness. But how much are we willing to tolerate. I would think that the areas experiencing these troubles would be blanketed with a strong police presence and enforcement of every violation seen.

Hartford has gained a reputation as a criminal free for all zone where everything goes. Shooting mothers in the head and slaughtering them in the street on Franklin Avenue to firing on a police officer with a machine gun after a robbery spree. You would think that a random bullet through another mothers heart killing her instantly as she exited a convenience store would demand a strong response from our city.

Anyone that drives in Hartford has to look no further than our city streets to realize that there is obviously little respect for traffic laws as well as gun laws and that lack of respect shows through in the lack of respect for law enforcement officials also.

If only we had some strong political leadership, especially on the State and Federal level, we could start asking for more help. But how do you ask for help when our state legislative delegation is more concerned about traveling to Paris while Hartford is in critical crisis mode. Or maybe they are too worried about saving their own skins because they are caught up in their hearings regarding their own alleged wrongdoing.

The areas of the City generating these gun crimes should be blanketed with a strong law enforcement presence. Local, State and Federal officers should be working hand in hand to take back our city. It involves relationships with the community also, but I am pretty sure that the law abiding residents of the troubled neighborhoods would welcome the police presence.

I am also sure that some would say that a heavy, no nonsense police presence is a violation of their rights. But what about the rights of people like Altanese Walker who was shot through the heart on Enfield Street and died almost instantly. Didn't she have the right to walk to the corner store and make her purchases without fear of death? What about the right of her four year old son to grow up with a mother to teach and help him become an adult?

The leadership of Hartford should be asking for help from anyone and everyone they can solicit. The Firearms Task Force, the Fugitive Task Force, The Narcotics Task Force and any other task forces currently working in Hartford should at the very least be doubled or tripled to make a stronger impact on crime in our streets.

Every effort needs to be made to get every uniformed body on the streets to patrol our streets. Too many supervisors and "white shirts" sit inside the walls of Jennings Road working Monday through Friday typical daytime hours. These people need to be on the streets overseeing what is happening. When is the last time a Deputy Chief or an Assistant Chief has been assigned to an evening or midnight shift or even a weekend shift?

Another novel idea could be implemented by our Governor. The Connecticut State Police can operate anywhere in the state that they wish, providing that they do not establish regular patrols in a city or town without an agreement. Essentially that means that the State Police could blanket Hartford with traffic enforcement and most likely find more weapons. persons with drugs and wanted persons. This makes a lot more sense than pairing troopers with Hartford Officers.

Hartford Officers know the streets and neighborhoods and who the key players are. Let Hartford Officers do what they are good at and clean up our streets. A strong message needs to be sent, but that starts with our City leaders admitting we have a problem and getting help from every corner possible, including its residents.

The outrage needs to be channeled into results, and not wait until after a police officer or another innocent mother is shot.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

OUCH...THAT HAS TO HURT

According to police sources, a Hispanic male reported last night that he was the victim of a mugging by two "large" black males on Baldwin Street in Hartford. The victim, who apparently didn't wish to co-operate with police or provide much information regarding the incident, also had a finger cut off during the alleged mugging.

Earlier today a resident of Cowles Street, which backs up to Baldwin Street, called the Hartford Police Department to report finding a finger in their yard.

Somehow I tend to think that there is a lot more to this story than just a simple mugging.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

AN INCREDIBLE NIGHT IN HARTFORD....ALL IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE



Sometimes we don't realize what we have in our midst, even though we drive by it a few times a day. I'm talking about the amazing facility called the Connecticut Science Center.

Tonight they held their "Green Gala" fundraiser, and it was great. The center itself is a great venue. Add to that a few hundred donors making their programs possible, food stations with everything from sushi to sliced Angus beef sliders and appletinis with dry ice added for a smoking effect( it is science , you know)and that is only the start. Performance actors dressed as birch trees, ( I know, you had to be there to appreciate it), but just imagine a large tree motioning and welcoming you into the venue and then you realize there is a human behind the outfit.

Other artists performed, reminiscent of the famous group "Stomp" except all of their music was performed on recycled buckets and construction cones. Again, you had to be there, but it had everyone in the hall gyrating to the bass and the rhythm and the sound was great.

"Street Beats" performs at the Connecticut Science Center


The DJ was also incredible. DJ Kered had the crowd moving all night, young and umm, not so young, packed the main concourse to dance to the beat. And if the night wasn't interesting enough, me dancing with Hartford Council President rJo Winch had to mean the planets were in alignment or something, or maybe it was a full moon. If that wasn't enough, dancing with Hartford's Mayor Pedro Segarra to Lady Gaga was worth the price of admission in itself.


Council President rJo Winch and myself dancing, I know ,the pic is a collectors item



Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra dancing to the tones of Lady Gaga

The whole night just highlighted everything that is possible for Hartford if we come together and accentuate the positive. Many of the people weren't from Hartford, but the fact that they were willing to donate to one of Hartford's gems and spend the night downtown says something positive.

A presentation by the Connecticut Science Center's CEO and President Matt Fleury welcomed everyone to the event, but a couple of key numbers also caught my attention. Since the Center opened, over 500,000 visitors have come through the doors. I would gamble and say that is probably the highest drawing attraction in Hartford.

A second great number given by Fleury is that over 10,000 Hartford school students have visited the Center free of charge due to corporate donations.

I only wish it was possible for tonight's event to be open to everyone from Hartford. After all that we have been through and the negatives we have faced, it is great to see something positive in our midst. If nothing else we do have some great dancers from Hartford hitting the dance floor, Mayor Pedro Segarra, WFSB's Mark Dixon and Irene O'Connor, Southend leader Hyacinth Yennie, Hartford Council President rJo Winch and former Democratic Town Chair Sean Arena were just a few strutting their stuff and seemingly having a great time in our great city.


Hartford's version of Fred and Ginger, Council President rJo Winch and Sean Arena dancing the night away

It may just be a coincidence, but there seems to be a lot of positive energy happening in the last couple months and positive signs of more to come.

Maybe Hartford's motto is true "After the clouds, the sun", and maybe a good time along the way.