Friday, May 18, 2012
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ends "Blue Laws" in ceremony at Enfield Town Hall.
Connecticut's archaic "Blue Laws" prohibiting liquor stores from opening on Sundays ended Thursday, with the signing of legislation that allows those retailers the opportunity to open seven days a week if they so choose. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the bill into law in the Town Council Chambers at Enfield Town Hall. Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, state Sen. John Kissel, Rep. Kathy Tallarita and Rep. David Kiner were among the legislators present for the ceremony. The bill allows liquor permittees to sell alcohol from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, as well as on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, and on Mondays following a Christmas or New Year's Day holiday that falls on a Sunday. The governor said he chose to stage the signing …
And, Himes applauds House passage of Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act.
LIEBERMAN: The senator released a statement Thursday in response to the U.S. Postal Service's decision to delay closing mail processing plants until 2013. “I appreciate that the Postal Service is moving forward with its downsizing in a way that is consistent with the Senate-passed 21st Century Postal Service Act," he said. "The PMG assures us that no mail processing centers will be closed this year, which means the House still has time to pass a bill so it can be reconciled with the Senate-passed bill." HIMES: The congressman applauded on Wednesday the House passage of legislation that will reduce income tax and reporting burdens for Connecticut residents who occasionally commute to other states. The Mobile Workforce State Income Tax …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Public Works Dir. Douglas Arndt says the condition of Monroe's roads show steady improvement.
Drivers may have noticed the smoother traveling along Elm Street, Purdy Hill and Turkey Roost roads over the past two years. This season, Highway Department crews milled and paved Maplewood and Woodlawn roads, and chip sealed East Village Road and Webb Circle. The visual improvement also translates into something not evident to the naked eye: A higher Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rating. Public Works Dir. Douglas Arndt said it rose from 64 in August of 2010 to 66 — and that's not counting the most recent roadwork. "I'm pleased to report that this 66 rating will go even higher," Arndt told the Town Council at its meeting Monday night. In response to Monroe's crumbling road system, Roadway Management Inc. was hired to assist the Public …
41.33196
-73.206999
Town of Monroe Town Hall
7 Fan Hill Rd, Monroe, CT
/articles/roads-198ffae3
165733
/locations/7046667
Hibernation provides Chalk Hill with some flexibility, while mothballing shuts it down completely. But hibernation costs about $115,000 more.
No solid commitment from a major tenant for Chalk Hill has spurred First Selectman Steve Vavrek's recommendation to "mothball" the building until a solid plan for Chalk Hill's future is in place. "Nobody wants to close the building for a year," Vavrek said told the Board of Finance at its Wednesday night meeting. "We're only trying to do what's best for the taxpayers." Public Works Dir. Douglas Arndt explained that a true mothballing of a building is when the water pipes are drained, the oil is shut down and the electricity is turned off. By contrast, he said hibernating is when the building is kept heated to the minimum temperature needed so the pipes don't freeze. "You can put a switch on and bring it to life if you have something," …
41.33196
-73.206999
Town of Monroe Town Hall
7 Fan Hill Rd, Monroe, CT
/articles/beep-beep-beep-beep
165733
/locations/7037625
And, DeLauro and Murphy oppose Republican plans for domestic violence act.
BLUMENTHAL: The senator was one of a few legislators honored by the Sports Fan Coalition for supporting legislation to eliminate the FCC's sports blackout rule on Tuesday night. The other recipients were Commissioner Robert McDowell, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Reps. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.). Blumenthal tweeted about the awards ceremony and posted a photo: "Honored to be Sports Fans Coalition’s Most Valuable Lawmaker for work on sports blackouts w/ @DavidGoodfriend @brifred http://bit.ly/Jf6F4j" LIEBERMAN: The senator released a response to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's approval of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The power company wants to open a storage facility on the former Stevenson Lumber Co. property. It would be a staging area for a three-year transmission line project.
Editor's Note: A CL&P spokesman called to clarify what his company wants to do. This article has been updated to include the company's information. Houses with darkened windows were a common sight in most Monroe neighborhoods in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Storm Alfred, with many homeowners waiting more than a week for the power to come back on. Some residents had complained about seeing more Connecticut Light & Power trucks in neighboring Newtown. Indeed, CL&P keeps and maintains some of its fleet in Newtown. But the power company now has set its sights on opening up a temporary staging facility right here in Monroe. David Bjorklund of Spath-Bjorklund Associates will come before the Planning & Zoning Commission for a text …
41.38592
-73.18921
1585 Monroe Tpke, Monroe, CT
/articles/will-cl-p-come-to-stevenson
/locations/7046200
And, Lieberman talks with CNN about the Taliban.
BLUMENTHAL: In an interview with The Daily Campus, the senator expressed his support for the Know Before You Owe Private Lender Act, which would require private lenders to inform prospective student borrowers of all of their loan options, "so people don’t leap into committing." LIEBERMAN: Following the death of a Afghan peacemaker in Kabul on Sunday, the senator told CNN that the Taliban "is not interested in peace talks," according to GovExec.com. Lieberman also said that the U.S. should "continue to put pressure" on the Taliban to engage in these talks. HIMES: The congressman used Twitter to ponder what's coming this week in Congress' 2012 session: "Back in DC. Last week, GOP saved a non-existent $20 bn from TBTF banks and eliminated a…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Trumbull Town Council Majority Leader Chadwick Ciocci accepted the nomination by Republicans from Monroe, Trumbull and Bridgeport for the 22nd state Senate district.
In Connecticut, facts no longer matter, according to Chadwick Ciocci, the GOP candidate picked Monday to run against Democrat Anthony Musto. He cited confused financial assessments, high taxes and a negative business climate, among the state's problems. He quoted Abraham Lincoln, who said, "If a man can convince you that 2 plus 2 equals anything but 4, then you can't possibly win the argument because facts don't matter." "I'm running because I envision a Connecticut where everyone who wants a job has a job, where our elected officials don't just treat your taxpayer dollars like it was their own money," he told supporters at the Helen Plumb building Monday night. The district includes Trumbull, Monroe and Bridgeport. "This election is about…
Discussion of Chalk Hill led to some heated exchanges Monday night.
Editor's Note: Supt. of Schools James Agostine has said he would not recommend moving alternative education to Chalk Hill without a three year commitment from the town to keep the building open. As the June 12 deadline for First Selectman Steve Vavrek to present a viable plan justifying keeping Chalk Hill open beyond Labor Day draws near, tensions are running high. Many parents and public officials want to use the former school as a community center, but unless uses in the building can generate enough revenue to break even with the costs of keeping it open, Chalk Hill will be "mothballed". During the Town Council meeting Monday night, Councilwoman Dee Dee Martin pointed out that Vavrek had not attended a meeting organized by a group of …
41.33196
-73.206999
Town of Monroe Town Hall
7 Fan Hill Rd, Monroe, CT
/articles/chalk-hill-status
165733
/locations/7028667
And, Himes meets with Greenwich students during their class trip to DC.
BLUMENTHAL: The senator recently expressed some concerns about Lieberman's cybersecurity bill, which needs 60 more votes to move, according to Politico.com. He said that the definitions of the bill must be "narrowed" and safeguards "strengthened" when it comes to the type of data that the government would be privy to. LIEBERMAN: The senator told CNN's "State of the Union" that the Senate Homeland Security Committee has scheduled a May 24 public hearing regarding the prostitution scandal involving U.S. military and Secret Service agents in Colombia. HIMES: On their annual class trip to Washington, DC, students at Central Middle School in Greenwich got a chance to meet and chat with Himes. "I always enjoy visiting with young people from my…
Joe
10:04 am on Saturday, May 19, 2012
Forest Road hasn't been paved in at least 25 years. more ›