A Walk for Jane and a Dash for a Difference
Comments (0) There are two upcoming scavenger hunts in Hartford. Continue reading 'A Walk for Jane and a Dash for a Difference'»
Category: Environment
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Clean Up Position
By Kerri Provost, August 28, 2010 2:12 pm
Volunteers from the West End Civic Association Beautification & Planting Committee gathered Saturday morning to clean up Elizabeth Park, rounding out the Week of the Parks. A press release says that Mayor Segarra and First Gentleman Charlie Ortiz were at the Sunrise Overlook area at 6 a.m. to talk about clean up efforts over the past week.
Visitors easily notice the difference in park maintenance when crossing Prospect Avenue. The section of Elizabeth Park that is in West Hartford is always spotless (or close to it), while the section in Hartford is often decorated with broken glass and 
other litter. Volunteers diligently cleaned and weeded this morning. This was no small effort, so it was great to see just how many people donated time on a gorgeous weekend.
The Broken Window theory states that if a window is broken and left in a state of disrepair, then more windows will be broken. People see neglect as a sign that vandalism is acceptable. In the same way, it’s hoped that this space in Elizabeth Park (which just ranked fifth in America’s Best Rose Garden Competition ) will be regularly cleaned and maintained, to discourage the notion that littering here is acceptable.
Other parks that experienced cleaning, repairing, and beautification this week include Keney Park, Bushnell Park, Goodwin Park, and Colt Park.
Timber!
By Kerri Provost, August 23, 2010 5:46 pm
This afternoon, for no apparent reason, a tree uprooted itself. Continue reading 'Timber!'»
Hartford Community Garden Tour
By Kerri Provost, August 20, 2010 9:17 am
There are over 300 community garden plots in Hartford, which means that an even greater number of people have the opportunity to grow (or attempt to grow) their own fruits, vegetables, and flowers. On Thursday evening, two bus loads of people (plus some cyclists) toured several of these gardens, checking out the creative choices made by this year’s gardeners.
Though some may be surprised about the presence of community gardens here, the first one in Hartford was established in the early 1970’s. Issues of “food security” are not new by a long shot, even if such phrases have become buzzwords in recent years. After creating a community garden in Keney Park, twelve more have been developed. How does one find space for such ventures in an urban setting? When a building is demolished, the land on which it sat often is left as a vacant, unkempt patch. Sometimes, these lots are converted into a more useful and attractive alternative — community garden space. Continue reading 'Hartford Community Garden Tour'»
Annual Community Garden Tour
By Kerri Provost, August 5, 2010 1:06 pm
The city of Hartford has a number of community gardens. The crops planted are diverse. One can find eggplant, corn, callaloo, melon, garlic, and pumpkin, to name only a few of the plants. Every August, a tour is given of a handful of the gardens. This year, the tour leaves from the Niles Street Community Garden (between Laurel and Sigourney) and stops at four other city community gardens. It then returns to the site for a meal prepared from ingredients grown in these gardens. Continue reading 'Annual Community Garden Tour'»
Discover Hartford by Foot and by Bike
By Kerri Provost, August 3, 2010 6:34 am
There’s more than a one in four chance that if you are reading this blog, you have ridden a bike some time in the last year. If statistics hold true, then it’s also more likely that you’re riding for recreation than for commuting to work or school. More importantly, if you’ve made it here, then you are probably interested in riding your bicycle around Hartford, and if not, then walking will do just fine.
That’s great because September 11, 2010 is the Third Discover Hartford Bicycling and Walking Tour — an event designed to show off the city, get off the sofa, and have fun. Because Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance changed its name to Bike Walk CT, more emphasis is being placed on the pedestrian aspect this time around. For those who do not ride or want another activity, there will be historical walking tours.
This year’s event is will feature four different 1.5 mile walking tours and several options for cyclists — 10, 25, or 40 mile loops. The 40 mile route includes an excursion to Hartford-owned Batterson Park in Farmington/New Britain. All routes begin and end in Bushnell Park, where one can partake in after-ride festivities.
The ride begins at 9:15. Check-in starts at 7:00. Based on past experience, I recommend going through the check-in process sooner than later, especially if you want to make sure you get a swag bag.
Discover Hartford Bicycling and Walking Tour is dubbed an “anti-sprawl, pro-fun, pro-sustainable city, anti-pollution, anti-couch potato, pro-bicycle pro-pedestrian event” and is not a race. Even though most photos show people decked out in racing gear, such things, except for the helmet, are not necessary. Typically, when I ride, I wear my regular clothes — skirt, trousers, jeans, what have you. Because it is most definitely not a race, there is no reason to feel intimidated by those who are dressed like they are going to one. If you’re still not certain, there are plenty of websites devoted to explaining how to ride in the rain, wear a suit while biking, ride in heels and a skirt, ride in higher heels, and even more on how to ride in a skirt. Step away from the Lance Armstrong and accept that regular people wearing regular outfits can get on a regular bike — even if all the magazines and websites you’ve been reading make it sound like you need to immediately invest in specialty gear and get yourself on some weird diet regiment. Continue reading 'Discover Hartford by Foot and by Bike'»
High Speed & Intercity Rail Meeting at Union Station
By Kerri Provost, July 30, 2010 8:45 am
Thursday evening, Tom Maziarz and Mark Alexander of the CT Department of Transportation presented information and study updates pertaining to high speed and intercity rail. The meeting, held at Union Station, was standing room only. Among those in attendance: Mayor Segarra, Chief Operating Officer David Panagore, a representative for Senator Dodd, the Massachusetts DOT, State Representative David McCluskey (West Hartford) and State Representative Bob Godfrey (Danbury).
The meeting was basically divided into four parts: discussion of the New Haven-to-Springfield section of the project, discussion of the regional (CT, MA, VT) section of project, presentation of the environmental review, and time for public comment.
The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield proposal was announced by Governor Rell and would cost $480 million in total, with $220 million of the funding coming from federal sources. The catch here is that the federal money is going to support high-speed intercity passenger rail; this means that to ensure the funding, all of those criteria must be met in some way. During the public portion of the discussion, Toni Gold asked about how the high speed could possibly work with so many street crossings and stations. In such a congested area, it seems like the trains would either present a danger or never truly reach a “high-speed.” Responding to someone else’s question about what actual speeds the trains would travel at, Maziarz said that they would hit 110mph at some point, but more realistically travel at around 80 mph. As in a previous meeting, emphasis was put on the fact that trains would slow down when going through cities.
Another requirement of the federal grant is that the “states develop proposals that were part of comprehensive, integrated regional rail visions.” Work done to the regional part of this would include restoring “Montrealer Route,” dealing with the need for train storage and yard space in Springfield, creating”intermodal connections”, and restoring inland route and service capacity between New York City and Boston. Currently, there is only one round trip train per day on the Inland Route — by 2030 this would increase to six roundtrips per day. In 2010 there are six roundtrips from Hartford per day, which would increase to 15 in 2030. There will also be an improvement in the time that trips take. Currently, a trip from White River Junction to Penn Station takes seven hours and thirty-six minutes. They hope to reduce this to five hours and thirty-two minutes in 2030. The trip from Hartford to Penn Station would be improved by thirty-seven minutes. Continue reading 'High Speed & Intercity Rail Meeting at Union Station'»
More Support Than Can Fit in a Room
By Kerri Provost, July 20, 2010 10:33 pm
When I arrived at the West Hartford Town Hall for the MDC public hearing regarding the potential closing of the Reservoir, all doors to the auditorium were locked except for those at the side of the building facing the main street. Even the balcony was blocked. (They must have a fetish for locking stuff up there because even the trash bin indoors had a lock on it.)
Despite the auditorium being filled to capacity early, a crowd still gathered at the front of the building; those who waited eventually made it inside as people trickled out.
By the time I was in, the MDC had already spoken but I was able to catch most of the public comment. Here is a summary of different points and arguments that people presented:
- the Reservoir is a safe place for people to exercise
- those who require exercise as part of a rehab requirement find the convenience and environment helpful to them; alternatives like gyms or locations farther away might discourage their exercise
- high school students use area for athletic training
- closing the Reservoir would have a negative economic impact
- the lawsuit was an anomaly; most users of the site are not filing lawsuits. MDC should not allow a legal anomaly to shape its policies.
- having users sign waivers is an alternative to closing the facilities
- the Reservoir — not Blue Back Square — is the “jewel” of West Hartford
- the alternative presented for joggers (jogging in the street) is far more dangerous than doing so at the Reservoir
- the Reservoir presents a safe and quiet “urban oasis” for people to be away from motorized traffic
- Blonski should have had to pay the MDC for damages to its gate when she hit it
- a number of politicians support the legislation to close the loophole that allowed for this lawsuit to be possible; contrary to what one speaker said, not all of these politicians are up for reelection this year.
- many speakers have grown up using the Reservoir, continue to, and are now bringing their children to the site
- the benefits of the Reservoir outweigh the risks
- paying for guards to monitor the MDC entrances (if the site closes) will be more expensive than keeping the property open to the public.
Support for keeping the MDC open came from beyond West Hartford and beyond just the mountain bikers. Several speakers came from more distant places, including Fairfield County, to show their support. People supporting the continued use of this land currently use it for jogging, walking, running, cross-country skiing, biking, snowshoeing, and more.
Because Some of Us Do Not Like to Exercise in Gyms
By Kerri Provost, July 19, 2010 7:51 am
A public hearing will be held tomorrow, July 20th, at 5:30 pm in the West Hartford Town Hall Auditorium. This is a chance for members of the community to speak out regarding the possible closure of the MDC properties (West Hartford reservoirs) to recreational use.
The West Hartford Reservoir on Route 4 is a way for Hartford residents to conveniently get our fix of nature. From Downtown, it takes about 15 minutes to drive there and maybe half an hour to bike. You can even take the bus there without much fuss at all. The MDC website describes the five reservoirs in West Hartford and Bloomfield as offering:
3,000 acres of beautiful forestland; there are more than 30 miles of paved and gravel roads for joggers and bicyclists, hiking trails [...], wheelchair-accessible picnic groves, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing.
There are also areas offering scenic views. Having a well-maintained recreational area is important for Hartford residents, most of whom have no (or small) yards because they rent rather than own. This site is a convenient, free, and fun mini-vacation spot for people who can not afford to (or choose not to) live in the surrounding expensive suburbs where green space is more plentiful.
Recently, a frivolous lawsuit filed against the MDC ended in a poor legal decision, which not only makes a mockery of the legal system, it has pressured the MDC to consider making poor decisions of their own. There is talk of them threatening to close the reservoirs to public recreational use.
For complete background, check out the numerous articles by Rick Green or the Save the MDC website. In a nutshell, what happened was that a cyclist was riding in the wrong direction on the paved trails and had been riding with her head down; as a result of this, she did not see a gigantic yellow gate, rode right into it, and wrecked herself. She damaged her vertebrae, but has since recovered and from several accounts, is still riding. A recent letter sent to the Courant by John Craggs says it best:
Maribeth Blonski’s lawyer stated that all the Metropolitan District Commission had to do was post a sign on the trail showing that there was a gate ahead. Yet, if Ms. Blonski did not see the gate, how would she have seen a smaller sign?
It’s difficult to see how the MDC could possibly be at fault on this one. Anyone who has been to the reservoir and has the ability to see has no doubt taken notice of the many signs (too many in my opinion) dotting the area. If someone abides by the site policies and walks or bikes in the correct direction, then she is given more than enough fair warning. Besides, one knows that there is a certain degree of risk involved in athletic activities. In this case, the gate used to keep motorized vehicles off the trails (making the area infinitely safer) only posed a risk to someone who was not riding right; by painting it yellow, rather than camouflage, the MDC had acted responsibly.
Now, since the MDC had to pay an outrageous lawsuit ($2.9 million) once, the concern is that future asinine lawsuits will continue to hurt them financially. While this concern is understandable, closing the reservoirs is not the answer!
A press release on the MDC website says:
The Water Bureau of the Metropolitan District (MDC) will conduct an informational
meeting relating to the recreational use of its reservoir land on Tuesday, July 20, 2010, at 5:30 p.m. in the
West Hartford Town Hall Auditorium, 50 South Main Street, West Hartford, Connecticut. The purpose of this
meeting is to receive public input on the issue. The Water Bureau will not take any formal action on this issue
at the meeting.Under the MDC Charter, the Water Bureau is charged with making periodic recommendations to the District
Board regarding the uses permitted on and within MDC reservoir property. For example, in 1998, the District
Board, upon recommendation of the Water Bureau, adopted ordinances requiring bicyclists, skateboarders and
roller skaters using MDC property to wear certain protective equipment.In response to a recent Superior Court decision in the case of Blonski v. Metropolitan District, the Water
Bureau, through its chairman, Commissioner Timothy Curtis of Windsor, has decided to reevaluate the MDC’s
policy in this area. “As a public entity funded by rate payer money, we have an obligation to assess our risks,
particularly in light of recent events. We intend to proceed in an open and deliberate manner as we review our
policies. In the meantime, the public should not assume that the Water Bureau has made, or will recommend,
any changes to the District’s recreational use policy,” said Commissioner Curtis.On behalf of the District Board, and in response to a good deal of misinformation on the issue, Chairman
William DiBella stated, “Let me be perfectly clear. No decisions to change our current policies have been
made, specifically in regard to closing the reservoir property to the public. Any statements to the contrary
should be disregarded. The District Board has yet to take any formal action, and individual statements or
conclusions do not reflect Board policy. I commend Chairman Curtis for his leadership on this issue in
conducting an open and constructive dialogue.”The meeting will include a brief presentation by MDC staff on its recreational facilities with public comments to
follow. Those attending the meeting who wish to speak will be asked to sign in for the record, and all speakers
will be limited to 3 minutes in duration. Organizations are welcome to choose a representative to speak on their
behalf.
They say that no formal decision has been made yet, but even an informal discussion of closing this area is cause for concern. If you share this concern but can not attend the meeting, you can email your thoughts on the matter to kshaw@themdc.com.
Continue reading 'Because Some of Us Do Not Like to Exercise in Gyms'»
What’s Wrong with this Picture?
By Kerri Provost, July 12, 2010 12:27 pm
It’s a little nauseating how frequently people whine about how the City can not do X,Y, and Z because of budget constraints. Obviously, we do not have a limitless well to draw from, but it takes very little creativity to see where the city can trim fat in order to fund better projects and services.
Here’s a tip for all the politicians who might have just no idea of where to start cutting back:
Look for examples of clear waste. This photo was taken yesterday in Bushnell Park in the late afternoon. It was hours from sunset and not remotely overcast, yet the lights were on in the park. How much money is wasted just by leaving the lights on?
