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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

HOW DO WE CHANGE THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE?

The "you tube" link below was sent to me by a regular reader of "We the People". I hadn't heard of the documentary previously or when it was produced.Unfortunately it was filmed right here in Hartford, not Detroit, not Los Angeles, but here on the streets of Hartford.

I think too many of our leaders have their heads buried in the sand when it comes to what is going on in our City. Anyone watching this video would have to question the rationale behind possibly cutting the next class for the Hartford Police Department as the number of police officers on the street continues to decrease.

We should also be questioning the dollars that are continuously dumped into programs run by Hartford's "poverty pimps" without any, or very little,results in return.

Something is wrong when a 14 year old girl has to tell her 11 year old brother that their mother was gunned down on the street in front of their home. Where are the adults in their lives, besides their dead mother? No child should have that burden on their shoulders.

HARTFORD RECORDS TENTH HOMICIDE FOR 2011


A 22 year old man was shot at least eight times this morning as he sat in a car in the driveway of 13-15 Thomaston Street in Hartford's Blue Hills neighborhood. This brings to ten the city's number of homicides so far , just a little over three months into the new year.Chief Roberts commented to the media and his remarks can be seen below, turn the volume up since he was somewhat soft spoken.

Chief Robert's comments are below:

Friday, April 1, 2011

NOLAN VINDICATED...CLEARED 100%


The Labor decision in the termination of Hartford Fire Department Deputy Chief Dan Nolan is official now. In the hearing officers report received today, Nolan was cleared of all charges and ordered reinstated to the Hartford Fire Department with all back pay and seniority. Apparently none of the charges were substantiated.

The full report is on the way to me now and will hopefully be posted here this evening.

Nolan is out of town and unavailable for comment at this time, but something tells me he will have plenty to say.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

IS CAPEWELL HOPELESS ?



In classic Hartford economic development style, it looks like the city is ready to let the former Capewell Nail Factory collapse into the street rather than push to market its redevelopment.

Barricades have been set up on the north side of the former mill and factory and the sidewalk has been blocked, apparently to try to keep pedestrians and motorists from being in the collapse zone when the building finally gives up.

This property would have made great housing if rehabbed or even great retail style use for something creative like an outlet mall. The building featured high ceilings, hardwood floors and even some great architecture, especially the main entrance and what appears to have been the main office at one time.

If Hartford really understood what economic development was all about, this project would have been a great tie-in to the Colt's Building, the new Dutch Point housing as well as being only a couple block walk to the Connecticut Science Center, Convention Center and the still vacant and undeveloped Front Street retail.

The picture below says a lot about the Front Street development, which is still vacant. The first tenant to announce their move to the project apparently backed out and a new tenant recently announced plans to move in there, but as of today there was still no activity to be found on the property.

Next week I'll be posting about many of the "announced" projects that were hyped with press releases and photo ops and never moved forward. Was it because of corruption, incompetence, the economy or maybe a combination of all three? Plaza Mayor, WFSB's Main Street move, Northland and the YMCA building, Calos Mouta and 95-101 Pearl Street and even a little known project on Tower Avenue that received hundreds of thousands of dollars in government funding and a shovel was never put in the ground.

Is this the message being sent regarding tenants for the Front Street retail area?

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

PEREZ PENSION REVOCATION MOVING FORWARD




Attorneys for former Mayor Eddie A. Perez had filed a motion to dismiss the action filed by the Connecticut Attorney General and the Connecticut Chief States Attorney to revoke Perez's pension under anti-corruption laws.

That motion was dismissed by a Superior Court Judge recently and that action will now move forward. Perez is appealing his conviction and is able to avoid reporting to start his 3 year prison sentence while the appeal is pending.

For more about the motion to dismiss and its denial, read more at Jeff Cohen's report at WNPR, click on the link to the right.

FOR SALE, NEWLY RENOVATED


Sources are confirming that the Perez homestead will most likely be listed for sale as of next Tuesday.The listing for the former Mayor's home was apparently supposed to take place this past Tuesday but was put off until next week.

According to sources, ReMax of West Hartford will be handling the sale. It is unknown what the asking price will be, but according to City of Hartford records former Mayor Perez transferred ownership to his wife in July of 2010, shortly after he became a convicted felon and resigned as Mayor.



For those interested in the property, highlights include the Dark Emperor Granite counter tops featured throughout the newly renovated kitchen and after a hard day at work you can come home and relax in your own steam shower and a long soak in the jacuzzi tub. Additional revenue is a possibility by opening the property to home tours to show off the focal point of one of the darkest periods in Hartford's recent history.

Pictures of the interior of the home can be found by going to the States Attorney's website and viewing photos of evidence of the renovations that may have Perez headed to jail for three years. I would strongly recommend though that anyone considering making an offer on the property hire the best home inspector possible. Apparently much of the work was done without any permits or inspections at the time.

If you would like to read more about the neighborhood and your potential future neighbors before making an offer, click here