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By Kerri Provost, May 9, 2013 12:03 am

Van Norden, making an appearance to read a letter

Following the latest hearing at the Connecticut Department of Transportation, one community member asked, “How much does Hartford’s Deputy Corporation Counsel Van Norden get paid to do nothing more than show up and read straight from a letter the Mayor wrote?”

The same could be asked of all ConnDOT representatives, aside from Judith Almeida, the Department of Transportation’s staff attorney and only employee appearing prepared for Wednesday evening’s first of two Flower Street Closing reconsideration hearings.

How could anyone have been prepared to respond to the City of Hartford’s 180° pulled minutes before the beginning of the hearing? This reversal, issued by Mayor Segarra, has been viewed by some in the community as a betrayal to residents and businesses, as a show of spinelessness, and one more poor decision in a stream of recent questionable choices.

In late April, officials from the City met with residents and stakeholders to discuss how to best move forward with the situation. The majority view was to keep pushing back against the DOT and not settle. This is what was supposed to be relayed back to Mayor Segarra: the neighborhood won’t settle. It wants to fight.

The few who did think having some settlement between the City and the DOT was a practical option insisted on having everything drawn up in writing to give it teeth. If it were to settle, the City, as of April, was going to include in its demands having the DOT commit to spend $30 million on Capitol Avenue improvements, look at making Sigourney Street safer for cyclists, alter State policies regarding affordable housing in Hartford, and more.

Throughout that meeting, the consensus was that nobody wanted a $6 million ramp built over the busway that would likely need to be removed in a few years when the viaduct is removed.

What also emerged in that meeting was the deep distrust everyone at the table — including City of Hartford employees — have regarding the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Thomas Deller, the Director of Hartf’ord’s Department of Development Services said he was “appalled” by how CTfastrak has done its planning, categorizing it as “haphazard.” A resident said, “the City has been victimized by the DOT for decades.”

By all accounts, it seemed that the City was going to fight the best it could for its residents and business owners.

Instead, Mayor Segarra effectively threw Hartford under the busway. Continue reading 'Constituents Sold Out in “Agreement” on Flower Street'»

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By Kerri Provost, April 10, 2013 10:44 pm

On the National Day of Action for immigration reform, Hartford joined cities across the United States as people took to the streets downtown during evening rush hour.

The Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance (CIRA) organized the event, with rallies at both the Old State House and State Capitol, and a march in between.

CIRA is comprised of many organizations including the ACLU of CT, African American Affairs Commission, AFT Connecticut, Apostle Immigrant Services, Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, Bill of Rights Defense Committee, Brazilian Immigrant Center, Center for Latino Progress, Comunidad Inmigrante de East Haven, Connecticut AFL-CIO, Connecticut Center for New Economy, Connecticut Coalition to Stop Indefinite Detention, Connecticut Students for a Dream, Immigration Rights Task Force of the Unitarian Society of New Haven, Immigration Task Force of New York Annual Conference of United Methodist Church, International Institute of Connecticut, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS), Junta for Progressive Action, Latino Advocacy Foundation, MECha de Yale, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), New Haven Peoples Center, Oficina Católica de Justicia Social de La Arquidiócesis de Hartford, Seminarians for a Democratic Society, SEIU-32BJ, SEIU-State Council, Somos CT, Unidad Latina en Acción, UNITE HERE, and United Action Connecticut.

Continue reading 'Hartford March for Immigration Reform'»

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By Kerri Provost, March 11, 2013 4:18 pm

Mayor Segarra’s State of the City address, as prepared, follows:

Thank you Council President Wooden, Majority Leader Aponte, Minority Leader Deutsch, distinguished members of the Court of Common Council, guests, friends and family.Thank you for your commitment to making Hartford a better place to live, work and visit.This is my third State of the City.  Today I will focus on MOVING FORWARD – even in the most difficult of times. It’s the premise behind my remarks today and the words that I want you to internalize are progress, forward, momentum and success.Now, of course, I’m not going to sugar coat what we all know to be true. Our City’s, our State’s and Nation’s fiscal situation is no secret. Difficult decisions will be made because we, like most, need to continue to do more with less. 

I cannot influence the nation’s economy, I can’t control the market, but I can and will continue to lobby for Hartford and work with our local legislative delegation, our congressional delegation and our Governor to make sure our City remains a priority.  Continue reading 'State of the City Address'»

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By Kerri Provost, February 7, 2013 8:38 am

Updated at 4:15pm on February 13, 2013: The Hartford Public Schools are scheduled to re-open tomorrow, February 14th, with a one-hour delay.

Parents, you can all rejoice.

Updated at 6:30 pm on February 12, 2013: Mayor Segarra says, “We have approximately 550 streets and 500 curbside miles in Hartford and as of right now they are all passable, meaning emergency vehicles and cars can get in and out.”

The parking ban will be lifted at noon on February 13th for downtown. Vehicles were already parking illegally on Main Street this afternoon. [Note: The Courant is reported a different time for the parking ban lift. The time reported on Real Hartford is coming straight from a City of Hartford press release]

In a press release from the City of Hartford, it is stated that the parking ban will be lifted in the neighborhoods at midnight on February 13, 2013.

Vehicles parked in school lots need to be moved before 6a.m. on February 14th, as it is expected that the Hartford Public Schools will reopen on Thursday.

The Emergency Operations Center is slated to close at noon tomorrow.

Updated at 4:40pm on February 12, 2013:

All of Hartford Public Schools will be closed again tomorrow, Wednesday, February 13, 2013.

The Hartford Public Schools have had to contend with a series of concerns complicated by the slow snow removal from sidewalks and streets. Besides checking the structural safety of roofs, it’s been necessary to ensure that children can safely access bus stops. Anyone who has walked around Hartford since the storm can attest to the fact that there are few, if any, curb cuts in certain areas, meaning that pedestrians have to either climb over huge mounds of snow or walk in the roadway. As of Tuesday morning, the sidewalk on Lawrence Street around the Maria Sanchez School had not been cleared. Some schools lots continue to be used by neighborhood residents due to the ongoing parking ban. Continue reading 'Weather Information Without the Panic'»

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By Kerri Provost, January 11, 2013 3:10 pm

Despite a decrease in funding, the City of Hartford’s Youth Employment Program has managed to increase the number of summer slots for young people in the Hartford area. At the program’s Summer Youth Jobs Campaign breakfast this week, the Mayor said there were 1637 slots last year, which he’d like to see increased to 2013 this summer. To do this, he said that businesses would need to make a “substantial investment.”

A series of speakers, including youth, presented reasons for providing part-time jobs for teens and young adults. Trisana Spence, 17, told potential funders and employers that employment helped her to focus after moving to Hartford from Brooklyn, NY a year ago. Continue reading 'Businesses Asked to Step It Up and Hire More Youth'»

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By Kerri Provost, January 8, 2013 6:35 pm

This morning Mayor Segarra gave a dizzying account of changes and projects that are underway, from “nodal development” along Albany Ave to the $500,000 that he said has been secured for environmental remediation of the former Swift Factory. The new public safety complex on High Street, which has its opening ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, was called a “catalyst” for the development of North Downtown. By all accounts, Segarra views Hartford as moving in the right direction. Continue reading 'Optimism Reigns in Update on City'»

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By Kerri Provost, January 2, 2013 1:55 pm

Eva Bermudez, standing in a freshly cleared path in the snow beside Roberto Clemente’s monument in Colt Park recalled some of the late baseball player’s words: ”Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.” Continue reading 'Hartford Marks 40th Anniversary of Roberto Clemente’s Death'»

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By Kerri Provost, December 29, 2012 3:29 pm

On December 31st, a ceremony celebrating Roberto Clemente’s achievements — as a civil rights activist and as the first Puerto Rican inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame — will begin at the six-foot granite memorial for him in Colt Park. Mayor Segarra will be speaking at this event; from there, the ceremony will move to Charter Oak Landing where baseballs will be thrown into the Connecticut River. Continue reading 'Clemente ¡Presente!'»

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By Kerri Provost,

In preparation for the storm, Bushnell Park's sidewalks have received copious amounts of "salt."

The mayor has announced that there will be an on-street parking ban in effect from midnight until 8 Sunday morning. During parking bans, vehicles left on the street can be ticketed and towed. Earlier in 2012, 500 vehicles were ticketed and another 100 towed during one weekend.

Public school lots can provide temporary parking for those who lack off-street options.

As of 5 p.m. today, the parks will be closed.

Residents are expected to clear sidewalks. Hartford’s municipal code states:

The tenant, occupant, owner or agent of any premises abutting upon any street or public place in the City where there is a sidewalk graded, paved or planked, shall cause all snow to be removed from such sidewalk within six (6) hours after it has fallen, been deposited or found, or within three (3) hours after sunrise when the snow has fallen in the nighttime.

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By Kerri Provost, December 20, 2012 4:21 pm

The conversation is expected to include the mayor of Hartford, the superintendent of the Connecticut Technical High School System, the executive director of the Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen, an American Studies professor, a senator, and the director of a statewide pro-gun organization.

The studio is located at 1049 Asylum Avenue; the public is invited to be part of the live studio audience.