The final community listening session for the Planning & Zoning Commission will be Tuesday evening at Rawson School. So far, there have been sessions at the Pope Park Rec Center, United Methodist Church, and Metzner Rec Center. Each session has focused on proposed land use for nearby neighborhoods.
Continue reading 'Proposed Land Use for Hartford’s Neighborhoods'»
"north end", Asylum Hill, Barry Square, Behind the Rocks, Blue Hills, Clay Arsenal, Economics, Environment, Frog Hollow, Hartford, POCD, Parkville, South End, Urban Renewal, West End, architecture/design, blight, class, commentary, community, downtown, housing, library, neighborhoods, parks, photos, quality of life, south green, tax money in action, transportation
Two individuals were arrested yesterday in Barry Square and South End for “BICYCLE LIGHTS,REFLECTORS,BRAKES,WH.” It’s safe to assume that means the cyclists lacked these accessories, had insufficient ones, or were doing it wrong. In both cases, the arrested men had other charges tacked on later, like possession and sale of narcotics, and violation probation. Since the average cyclist in Hartford does not use lights on his bike, I think it’s safe to assume that unless one is looking sketchy for one reason or another, he probably is not going to get arrested simply for lacking appropriate safety gear. On the other hand, the bond was listed as $150, so it’s cheaper to just get the lights, whistles, sirens, etc., and skip the tour of Jennings Road.
After a few days away, I returned to find obnoxious (but fairly routine) comments littering the Topix forum that one is routed to from the online Hartford Courant.
On my trip, I was thinking about civic pride and the need for community and cooperation between neighboring towns. I am not talking about these qualities on a political level, but on a personal level. There is community here, within the city, but it’s not something that gets much press. Crime and corruption are made public. Poverty and illiteracy are treated as mascots for my city.
What does not make the news are the minutiae.
One Friday night I gathered with a half dozen women to eat local pizza in the host’s dining room. We wolfed down three pizzas and laughed. Nobody got shot or stabbed.
Last week, I ventured with a friend and two of her children to Colt Park. We were hoping to catch a women’s rugby game. Though it seemed to be canceled, we picked up some delicious goodies from Modern Pastry, watched runners cross the finish line at the Hartford Marathon in Bushnell Park, and then headed to La Paloma Sabanera for an actual lunch. At the coffee house, we ran into more friends. Again, nobody got shot or stabbed.
Continue reading 'Words vs. Pictures'»
"north end", Asylum Hill, Barry Square, Behind the Rocks, Clay Arsenal, Frog Hollow, Hartford, Parkville, Regionalism, South End, West End, community, downtown, food, fun, myth busting, not Hartford, parks, perception bias, photos, quality of life, south green, transportation
This photo appears to be an old bottle sitting on the ground. It’s not. The bottle is one of several objects that I saw supported by a layer of algae in a pond at Goodwin Park, located in Hartford’s South End.
An article all about pollution and pond scum describes the causes and effects of algae growth:
Eutrophication has many negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. Perhaps the most visible consequence is the proliferation of algae, which can turn water a turbid green and coat shallower surfaces with “pond scum.” This increased growth of algae and also aquatic weeds can degrade water quality and interfere with use of the water for fisheries, recreation, industry, agriculture, and drinking. As overabundant nuisance plants die, bacterial decomposers proliferate; as they work to break down this plant matter, the bacteria consume more dissolved oxygen from the water. The result can be oxygen shortages that cause fish kills. Eutrophication can lead to loss of habitats such as aquatic plant beds in fresh and marine waters and coral reefs along tropical coasts. Thus, eutrophication plays a role in the loss of aquatic biodiversity.
Continue reading 'State of the Parks'»
For some people (me), the concept of not traveling far is a familiar one. I like to travel, to 
see the world (Alaska); I also like to have a roof over my head, especially when the weather gets colder. Rather than switch into a soul-sucking career that I’d hate (think anything finance or insurance related, or anything involving a dress code), I do fulfilling and intellectually challenging work which, incidentally, doesn’t pay enough for a single person to be jetting off to Borneo every six months. Fortunately, I can be amused, entertained, and awed just about anywhere.
On Friday, I traipsed through Cedar Hill Cemetery in the South End of Hartford. Continue reading 'A Permanent Staycation (insert groans here)'»
UPDATED: Rain Delay! Rescheduled to Wed. July 30th.
Julie has called for a Critical Splash this coming Wednesday (7/23) at Goodwin Park. Not sure I’m okay with being in a bathing suit in public, but since I don’t have my own private pool, there’s not really an alternative, is there?
6-7:45pm
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