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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

FREE ADMISSION TO WADSWORTH FOR HARTFORD RESIDENTS


Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art to Offer
Free Admission to Hartford Residents
Hartford, Conn. (Aug. 23, 2016) -In an unprecedented move, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art will offer free admission to all Hartford city residents, effective immediately.
 
Through this new initiative-called Wadsworth Welcome-Hartford residents are encouraged to enjoy the experience of art in the company of friends and family without the barrier of paid admission. Currently, regular admission to the museum is $15 for adults and free to those under the age of 18.
 
"The Wadsworth Atheneum was founded as a place for bringing art and people together in the center of downtown Hartford," said Thomas J. Loughman, Director and CEO. "As stewards of a dynamic and significant collection of global cultural property, we strive to connect everyone with exceptional art experiences. With this initiative, we are shifting the dialogue and stating loud and clear: the Wadsworth is Connecticut's flagship visual arts organization, and it belongs to you."
 
Museum leadership considered ways to connect with its most immediate neighbors more effectively. With this program, the Wadsworth Atheneum is building upon its already successful, multi-year Community Engagement Initiative, begun in 2009, but at radical scale-expanding the opportunities for free admission from once a month to every day the museum is open. The museum intends for Wadsworth Welcome to restate its relationship with city residents specifically and in bold terms. The program will run through June 2017, at which point it will be evaluated.
 
The move comes as the iQuilt vision for a revitalized downtown is becoming visible, and amid the fundamental reinvigoration of the Hartford cultural landscape marked by the construction of the UCONN Hartford campus and the recent renovation of the museum itself. Engaging civic leadership, foremost with the City of Hartford, is vital to this project:
 
"The Wadsworth Atheneum is a truly world class art museum, and I'm so proud of this partnership with Aetna to open to the museum's doors for free to Hartford residents," said Mayor Luke Bronin. "This is exactly the kind of partnership we want to promote-a partnership between a pillar of our corporate community and an incredible Hartford cultural institution to ensure that every resident of Hartford is able to share in the cultural richness of our city."
 
Through a generous contribution from its long-time corporate supporter Aetna, lead funder of Second Saturdays for Families, the Wadsworth Atheneum will be spreading news of this initiative to city residents through a comprehensive marketing campaign.
 
"The Wadsworth has been a cornerstone of our community for nearly 175 years, and to see the museum evolve under new leadership is truly inspiring," said Mark T. Bertolini, Chairman and CEO at Aetna. "Expanding free admission will bring cultural enrichment to even more Hartford residents."
 
Loughman will join Mayor Bronin at the following events to share news of the free access program with Hartford residents:
  • Hartford Public Schools Convocation; Monday, Aug. 29, 8-10 a.m.; Bulkeley H.S.
  • First Day of School Bus Tour; Tuesday, Aug. 30, 7:30-11:30 a.m.; 960 Main St.
Wadsworth Welcome Cards
Residents who wish to register for the program will receive a Wadsworth Welcome card. To obtain a Wadsworth Welcome card, residents must show one form of identification and proof of residency. Registration may be done in person at the museum starting Wednesday, Aug. 24.
 
Opportunities for Free Museum Admission for Non-Residents
While Wadsworth Welcome is open to those with proof of residence in the City of Hartford, there are a number of programs for non-residents to enjoy similar benefits. A list of free admission opportunities can be found at thewadsworth.org/visit. Among them are:
  • Happy Hour, with free admission for all from 4 - 5 p.m. every day the museum is open;
  • Second Saturdays family programming, with free admission for all from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month;
  • Active-duty military and their immediate family members are admitted free at all times; 
  • Bank of America Museums on Us, with free admission the first weekend of every month to Bank of America credit and debit cardholders; and
  • Free admission at all times for those under the age of 18.
Additionally, ARTpasses-which can be used for free admission for two adults anytime-are available for check out from more than 200 Connecticut public libraries.
 
Questions regarding general museum information, including free admission opportunities, can be directed to (860) 278-2670 during museum hours.
 
About the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Founded in 1842, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is the oldest continuously operating public art museum in the United States. The museum's nearly 50,000 works of art span 5,000 years, from Greek and Roman antiquities to the first museum collection of American contemporary art. The Wadsworth Atheneum's five connected buildings-representing architectural styles from Gothic Revival to modern International Style-are located at 600 Main Street in Hartford, Conn. Hours: Wednesday - Friday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission: $5 - 15; discounts for members, students and seniors. Free for Hartford residents with ID. Free "happy hour" admission for all visitors 4 - 5 p.m. Public phone: (860) 278-2670; website: thewadsworth.org.

Monday, August 22, 2016

IT MUST RUN IN THE FAMILY

 
Or maybe it is something in the water at Hartford City Hall.

 According to numerous sources, former Hartford City Councilman Corey Brinson is allegedly the subject of a federal criminal investigation. Brinson is the nephew of disgraced former Hartford City Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson who was indicted by a State Grand Jury on criminal charges  during the Perez investigation while she was a Hartford City Councilwoman.

According to sources, Federal Agents served a search warrant on Brinson's law office last Thursday at 4:45PM. Brinson shares office space with former Hartford City Council member Alexander Aponte at 750 Main St.. Brinson's home had reportedly been searched by Fed's earlier

According to the sources, numerous records and computer data was removed from the office, relevant to the ongoing Federal Investigation
A call to Brinson's Office for comment was unsuccessful.

According to Brinson's webpage: "In 2013, he served as a member of Hartford's Charter Review Commission. In 2011, Brinson served as a member of the Hartford City Council in 2010, Attorney Brinson was a statewide candidate for Connecticut Secretary of the State"

Much more on this to come, but at least Brinson is carrying on his family tradition of keeping the Connecticut Law Enforcement community busy.

Quite possibly another name to add to the Hartford politics "Wall of Shame" in the future

Friday, August 19, 2016

HOW SAFE IS THE COMCAST XFINITY THEATER IN HARTFORD?

Is the Comcast Xfinity Theater in Hartford putting concertgoers in danger.

The attached video originally posted on twitter would seem to answer that question as YES.

The video was shot during a melee in the parking lot  before the recent Rascall Flatts concert in Hartford. The Comcast Xfinity Theater has seen violence over the years by concertgoers who arrive early and many drink heavily in the parking lots. Many of those drinkers are underage juveniles dropped off by their parents. This "babysitting" process then puts an undue burden and strain on Hartford Police and EMS and local hospitals who must deal with the results of the problem. As well as endangering the safety of decent concertgoers



You can view the original twitter posting here https://mobile.twitter.com/tayxxmay/status/764896745918726145

At the very least this behavior highlights the need for additional Police and Security coverage  to ensure the safety of Comcasts customers. If this was any other entertainment venue, the City would be moving to shut them down until the problem was corrected

This behavior also endangers the handful of Hartford Police Officers assigned to patrol the parking lots during these events. Those numbers need to be increased to ensure orderly behavior for all attending.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

HFD CHIEF FREEMAN RECOGNIZED AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Today at the semi-annual meeting for the Commission on Professional Credentialing at the Fire Rescue International conference in San Antonio, TX, Hartford Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director, Reginald D. Freeman was elected by his fellow Commissioners to serve as Chair for the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s, Commission on Professional Credentialing. The commission provides professional credentialing for fire and emergency services officers. As described by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc., “this internationally-accepted model recognizes professional accomplishments and competence in fire and emergency services and offers fire and emergency service personnel career guidance and planning.” The Commission offers credentialing for:
    • Chief Fire Officer (CFO) – Open to chief officers serving at or above the rank of Battalion Chief
    • Chief EMS Officer (CEMSO) – Open to chief EMS officers with a minimum of 10 years emergency medical services field or system experience as an Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, Registered Nurse, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, or Physician.
    • Chief Training Officer (CTO) – Open to administrators of training programs in fire and emergency service agencies.
    • Fire Marshal (FM) – Open to fire marshals or fire prevention officers having responsibility over a fire prevention bureau or management responsibilities over code enforcement, education, fire investigations, and engineering or other aspects of fire prevention programs.
    • Fire Officer (FO) - Open to all junior officers, company officers or those who have served in an intermittent acting status for 12 months.
“I am honored to serve in the capacity of Chair for this exceptional commission” said Chief Freeman. He went on to state, “professional credentialing is absolutely critical to the overall advancement of the fire service by providing objective tenements that are systematically assessed on an individual basis.” Chief Freeman is the youngest and first minority to serve as Chair for the Commission on Professional Credentialing.  Chief Freeman will attend his first Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. board meeting this Friday, August 19, 2016 as the new Chair during the Fire Rescue International conference in San Antonio, 

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

HFD: SAVING LIVES WITH NARCAN

FROM HFD:

 Reginald Freeman, Chief of the Hartford Fire Department, would like to recognize the efforts and personnel of the Emergency Services division for their life saving and professional administering of naloxone (also known as Narcan) since November of 2015. Out of 172 instances that the drug has been used in unresponsive and non-breathing patients, 135 lives have been saved. That number equates to a 78.5% save rate.  Narcan (naloxone) is a prescription medicine that blocks the effects of opioids and reverses an overdose. It is reflective of the training and recognition of the need for the drug by our first responders that 135 people are still with their families and loved ones.
The Hartford Fire Department is committed to providing the best emergency response care to its residents and visitors. The utilization of this life saving drug has assisted the fire department in meeting the standard of the department's motto.
"We serve to save."

Thursday, August 4, 2016

HARTFORD'S POLICE- COMMUNITY RELATIONS



Tuesday's National Night Out showed that Hartford's Youth are able and willing to work with their Police Department.

After a Hartford Police Department Motorcycle Officer ended up with a dead battery, several youth stepped up to help attempt to pop start the Harley-Davidson motorcycle while pushing it. It did eventually require a jump start, but it was good to see young men willing to step up and help out.

I guess if we are talking about community policing and good relations between our residents and public safety personnel, we can still say "Hartford Has It"