Comments (0)

By Kerri Provost, January 27, 2012 8:15 pm

Geeks, take note.

The Connecticut Science Center and the City of Hartford are partnering to offer grants up to $15,000 for projects related to the applied sciences, technology, or other innovations not connected to education or the arts. The awards can be used for capital projects, materials, or equipment.

There’s a catch: you can’t be wealthy to get this.

The Community Development Block Grant Program authorizes HUD to fund this, so applicants will need to meet their low- and moderate-income requirements.

There are a few other guidelines. Applicants should either own/rent space in Hartford for the business or live here. Businesses with more than five employees are not eligible.

Applications are not due until March 19th, but there are two public information sessions and a technical assistance session before then. The first info session is from 10-11:30 a.m. on February 4th at the Connecticut Science Center. The second info session is offered from 6-7:30 in the evening on February 8th.

The guidelines and application for the grant are available for download.

Comments (0)

By Kerri Provost, January 23, 2012 7:52 pm

Tonight, City Council passed the “Resolution Restoring Good Jobs at the Hartford Courant,” on the consent calendar with only Councilperson Wooden abstaining.

Before voting, several members of the City Council explained their motives. Continue reading 'City Council Calls on Courant to Rehire Cleaners'»

Comments (17)

By Kerri Provost, January 11, 2012 2:55 pm

rendering courtesy of iQuilt

As barrels of trash heaved into the pond in Bushnell Park remain there for nearly a week and as the water feature in the playground nearby continues to be broken for years on end, residents and stakeholders were presented with the iQuilt’s dream plan of bring flowing water through the park.

Using identity strategy and enculturation to rally support, those leading this project dismissed skeptics as lacking vision. As much was said twice yesterday at a mini-presentation during a Rising Star Breakfast and in the evening before the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The presentation included codewords,  as several supporters described selves as “believers” and even went so far as to say that bring flowing water back into the park would be good for our “souls.”

The presentation included visual appeals to nostalgia and romance. The lovely, verdant design renderings seduced the participant into imagining a pristine urban paradise in which those seeking recreation can choose to wade across a 50-100 foot wide brook, meander through pop up studios and greenhouses, or linger on any of the nine bridges that would be added to Bushnell Park.

Urban design presentations, as a whole, dazzle those from whom they want support, but fail to provide real answers that concerned residents have about what is slated to happen in our backyards.

Prior to the presentation, Real Hartford readers submitted questions they had about this project, which are marked in bold and are direct quotes, unless noted otherwise.

Who is doing the planning?

The iQuilt, in the works for several years now, is described as a “culture based urban design plan for Downtown Hartford.”

The iQuilt is a private/public partnership which receives support from various institutions including the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Bushnell Park Foundation, CIGNA, City of Hartford, State of Connecticut, MDC, Riverfront Recapture, Connecticut Light & Power, Northeast Utilities, Travelers, and United Illuminating. Suisman Urban Design has been leading the iQuilt design team. A 501(c)3 was formed recently. Continue reading 'iQuilt: Dotting i’s'»

Comments (0)

By Kerri Provost, December 23, 2011 10:55 am

Following news that the Hartford Courant did not renew a contract with a unionized cleaning company, resulting in several jobs lost just before the holidays, it was announced this week that its parent company, the Tribune, managed to scrape together money to purchase publishing rights to Hartford Magazine.

Since spare change is no longer an issue, will we hear that the Courant will be rehiring those janitors, whose lost jobs saved the Courant $100,000?

Comments (14)

By Kerri Provost, December 6, 2011 10:38 am

The tents are still up at Turning Point Park, but Occupy Hartford has shown few signs of life in recent weeks. After a strong showing at their kickoff march in early October, active participation has waned. There has been high turnover of activists, both those living in the tents, and those dropping by or showing support from afar.

The declaration of its impending death comes from those who have worked closely with the group, saying that those still involved in the encampment “don’t even know they are on a sinking ship.” In recent weeks, there have been hints that Occupy Hartford was on the verge of imploding.

The inexcusable mishandling of the sexual assault on site may have been the final straw for many who had previously offered their support for the local incarnation of the Occupy movement.

The move away from Occupy Hartford appears to be taking two forms Continue reading 'Occupy Hartford: Post Mortem'»

Comments (3)

By Kerri Provost, November 22, 2011 10:27 am

Not unusual: people coming into Hartford with big ideas about what residents need and what will “save” us.

The Public Allies — an AmeriCorps program — promise that is not their mission. They insist that they are “not here to re-market Hartford.”

Young adults in the program work with a non-profit four days every week; each Public Allies “community” — Connecticut has ones in Hartford, Bridgeport, and New Haven — undertakes a service project each year.

This year, the group’s goal is to “strengthen community through figuring out assets and problems,” Al Riccio, one of the Allies on the “Greater Hartford Team”, told participants at the Hartford Public Library Monday evening during the Hartford Unity Community Conversation. In chatting with residents, the Public Allies identified that many residents feel “proud to be from the city,” but believe that there are negative perceptions of it due to the news media. He added that a lack of jobs, housing, and access to resources were other issues identified.

During the first of what Public Allies say will be several community conversations, residents were told that the Allies — several of whom are long-time Hartford residents — would be facilitating discussion, but not participating. Heads nodded as residents commented that these conversations need to be in the neighborhoods, not just Downtown. The library was named a “hub,” a natural place for civic discourse to take place, and there are library branches throughout the city.

Broken into small groups, residents and stakeholders named activities that could “create attention toward positive aspects.” In the brainstorm, two groups named the Walk the Frog tour as an example of an event that has highlighted the positive aspects of a neighborhood Continue reading 'Hartford Unity Community Conversation: “Empower People Already in Hartford”'»

Comments (1)

By Kerri Provost, November 17, 2011 11:39 pm

If the police issue several traffic advisories letting the public know that they will likely be unable to use a street during part of the day, and then they barricade that street so that no vehicular traffic can use it, can activists who — after the road has been made impassable already — are physically blocking an entrance ramp on that block be arrested for impeding traffic?

Yes.

A dozen people, including some with SEIU, CCAG, and the machinists’ union, were peacefully arrested after blocking the Broad Street on-ramp to I-84 East. Peter Goselin, with the National Lawyers Guild, said that the arrests were carried out smoothly.

Continue reading 'Ramping Up Demonstrations'»

Comments (2)

By Kerri Provost, November 16, 2011 10:13 am

Occupy Hartford, like many other Connecticut residents right now, is directing its ire at CL&P. Besides a rally they have planned for this coming Saturday, the group has released a play on Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses.

In its entirety:

Disputation on the (Lack of) Power and (Absence of) Efficacy of (Executive) Indulgences Commonly Known as The 99 Theses.

By Occupy Hartford CT.

Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, we present the following reasons that CL&P must be held responsible for providing the services they promise and for which we pay them. We request that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing.

1. Our Governor, Dannel Malloy stood at the podium and called for CL&P to “Repent,” which roughly translates to, “Do the job consumers pay you for”

2. The word “Repent” cannot properly be understood as referring to penance by the consumer in terms of increased rates.

3. Repentance means not only in the Executive’s heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh. We mean increased staffing.

4. As long as hatred of the profit loss abides, the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven, or refuse to pay our bills.

5. Jeffrey Butler and Co. have neither the will nor the power to demand any rate increases beyond those imposed by law.

6. Mr. Butler himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by CL&P. Clear case, the guilt remains untouched. Continue reading 'Occupy Hartford: 99 Theses'»

Comments (5)

By Kerri Provost, November 15, 2011 10:30 pm

The viaduct — that eyesore that divides neighborhoods and requires repairs or removal — will be one site where local activists gather on Thursday for the “National Day of Action for the 99%” (also being called March and Occupy the Bridge for the Jobless).

Nationwide, people will be marching across bridges and in other public spaces to demand that Congress create jobs. Organizers say that “America’s crumbling infrastructure” needs to be addressed. Of I-84, they say “this interstate needs work and so do we. We could create millions of jobs repairing bridges and roads like I-84 in downtown Hartford, as well as schools and parks — fixing up our country will help us meet America’s education, transportation, and clean energy needs.”

Steve Thornton, who is with SEIU 1199 and will be taking part in Thursday’s action, noted that “public safety is not a priority” when it comes to government spending, “but tax breaks” have been in recent years. This action, he said, is designed to shine a light on “upside down priorities.” Continue reading 'Take it to the Bridge'»

Comments (0)

By Kerri Provost, November 7, 2011 2:48 pm

Roksana Mun of DRUM

“We’re not asking you to speak for us. We can speak for ourselves,” said Jasmine Burnett of SisterSong and Trust Black Women.

In a time when progressive movements still lack diversity and many refuse to have meaningful conversations about privilege, such words are refreshing to hear.

Burnett was one part of the panel last Friday at La Paloma Sabanera; Denisa Jashari, Marie Lausch, Carmen Cordero, Roksana Mun, and Marissa Janczewska also presented on the history and current state of women’s oppression at the forum sponsored by Socialist Action. The opening and closing speakers were occasionally heavy on the socialist rhetoric, but those in the middle spoke plainly, with the intention of being understood by all. Continue reading 'Power and Privilege at Women’s Forum'»