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By Kerri Provost, August 25, 2011 11:32 am

About half the seats were filled at the start of Wednesday’s forum; by the end, only a few dozen people remained, and many of those were candidates’ families, or, candidates running with the Republican and Working Families parties. Two of the ten Democrats running for City Council did not attend. It was a rare event that finished early in spite of many questions from the audience.

The forum provided Democrats with the opportunity to distinguish themselves from the other candidates; few bothered to do so. Instead, candidates were quick to agree with each other, rarely adding anything meaningful to previous comments; a few candidates gave rambling responses to most questions, stumping the audience as to the point being made. Continue reading 'Council Primary Candidates Forum'»

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By Kerri Provost, August 22, 2011 7:51 am

Local activists began a rolling fast at the beginning of this month to show solidarity with prisoners in the California state system; 6,600 prisoners had been on a hunger strike to urge officials to change conditions in prisons, including the indefinite solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State Prison.

The rolling fast will be ending tomorrow, August 23rd. From 6:30-8:30 pm there will be a speak-out at La Paloma Sabanera. On this National Day of Action and Solidarity, local activists will be sharing their own stories about fasting. They will provide education about prison conditions, not just in California, but here in Connecticut as well.

This event is free and sponsored by Connecticut in Solidarity with California Prisoners.

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By Kerri Provost, July 6, 2011 5:39 pm

This pig lives at Holcomb Farm, a farm that provides produce to Foodshare

It’s not accurate to describe Hartford as being a food desert. This term implies that food is unavailable. The obesity rate says otherwise.

Instead, we should be calling it what it is — a food swamp. Prof. Molly Anderson used this phrase during her presentation at a recent forum held at the Lyceum. Rather than a lack of food being the problem, it’s that there is, in these areas, “far too much of the wrong kind of food,” she argued.

Food security was the topic of discussion at the “IForum” in late June. Anderson, the keynote speaker, delivered her presentation, “A Home’s Not Just a House: Why Food Security Must Be Part of a Strong, Affordable Community”; a response panel comprised of Julia Pon, Margaret Williams, and Martha Page followed. Continue reading 'The Great Food Swamp'»

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By Kerri Provost, June 29, 2011 8:09 am

Read a general overview of the LSNI or learn about the projects and accountability

Blight

Blight extends beyond a few notable buildings in or just outside of Downtown; when such conditions exist unchecked, the problem eventually becomes one that can be corrected by nothing other than demolition.

The Neighborhood Conditions Report divides blighted properties into three categories: those the City has taken action on (fines, foreclosure, demolition), those the City is working with owners to clean up, donate property, renovate, etc., and those that are being monitored.

Under the LSNI, the City has identified targeted blighted properties within demonstration areas. Continue reading 'Livable & Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative: Last Segment'»

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By Kerri Provost, June 15, 2011 2:10 pm

At the halfway point of the planning stage for the Bushnell Park Restoration Plan and GreenWalk, the iQuilters held another public forum on Tuesday evening; the skepticism that had subsided during the last session has reemerged.

In March, there was a lengthy public discussion about ways to improve Bushnell Park. (You can read all about that here, here, and here. ) A few participants wondered if those steering this plan were perhaps steering a bit too hard. Upon the release of the Programming and Pre-Design Report and the recent so-called public forum, this question might be asked even louder. One might also ask whose interests are being served by this plan.

For the time being, let’s set aside the factual inaccuracies that can be found in the report– we will get to some of that later. First, let’s do a compare/contrast between what people (the public, of that public forum) thought were great ideas and what the iQuilters have decided to run with, even if these concepts were not popular during the meeting.

On page 13 of the plan,  they list  “Possibly Recommended Uses” for Bushnell Park: volleyball, ping pong, basketball, bocce/petanque, horse-drawn carriage rides around the park, biking, skateboarding, farmers markets, book loaning/book carts, weather station, puppet theater, barbecuing, and a Christmas market. It seems as if planners are pushing these ideas, even when the public at the March workshops had not gravitated much toward any of these. Skateboarding, for instance, is silly to promote as a possible activity when the City is currently hashing out funding for a skate park in an already established skating area of north Downtown. Nobody even knew what a weather station was at this previous meeting and only one person seemed to be fascinated by the book loan idea, which would again be redundant, as the library is in very close proximity to the park. None of the ideas on that aforementioned list really resonated at the March public workshop. Reading the Programming and Pre-Design Report before attending Tuesday evening’s public forum was a warning of what was to come.

In that document, it is stated “all agreed that the park has sporadic use during the weekdays, some use during the weekends, and little to no evening activity” (13). There is no indication as to who was in this group of “all,” and as someone who travels through Bushnell Park on weekdays, weekends, and evenings, I find it to be inaccurate. The characterization, for instance, of the western side of the park as getting little use except for during concerts is false. During the school year, gym classes have regularly used that side for major parts of the day during the week. This inaccuracy was not the only one presented in the iQuilt documents and presentations. The Programming and Pre-Design Report erroneously states:

Bushnell Park Café, which is open only in the summer months, occupies the building’s southern wing, and offers drinks and dining on an outdoor patio. (15)

This establishment has not been in operation for several years. Though it is expected that designers and planners from out of town might make this error, it is astounding that nobody has corrected this mistake during their dozens of meetings. Continue reading 'Whose Quilt?'»

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By Kerri Provost, June 9, 2011 12:49 am

There are some gaps in this blog post. You should check out what Live in Hartford writes about this same forum in order to fill in those blanks.

For those who are unaware, eHow is a website that specializes in providing advice that should be obvious, but since it exists, I suppose the instructions are needed. In an article about dealing with bratty kids the advice given is to set boundaries, follow through, pay attention to the child, reward for good behavior, and if junior doesn’t adjust her attitude, seek professional help. Sound advice that any rational person could write, yet in everyday observation of the world around me, can see that there is a lack of thinking parents. Likewise, there is advice provided for those who wish to campaign for mayor. These bits of wisdom include:

Only release information to the public about the current mayoral administration if it is factual.

and

Don’t verbally bash your opponent. It takes away from your positive campaign.

Obvious, right?

Not to everyone. Continue reading 'Mayoral Candidate Forum Spotlights Pressing Issues like Robocars and Raspberries'»

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By Kerri Provost, June 7, 2011 3:18 pm

Well, maybe not exactly that, but this news proves that all the griping that some of us have been doing has not been for naught. Here is a press release from the City of Hartford:

(June 7, 2011) – Today, Mayor Pedro E. Segarra announced a new partnership to increase and expand how Hartford residents can request city services and report non-emergency problems.  Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based reporting platform allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to tree requests and speeding.

“This new partnership will engage and empower all of our residents to actively participate in improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Segarra.  “With its online tool and mobile apps, SeeClickFix places the power directly in the hands of the people who live, work, and visit our City.”

Last month, City Council Minority Leader Luis Cotto invited city residents to start reporting quality of life issues via SeeClickFix.com and its mobile apps.

“311 is great for internal routing of work orders and intra-governmental accountability, but its user interface is somewhat opaque to residents,” Cotto said.  “By using SeeClickFix, residents can see what others have identified as problems and interact to help solve quality of life and infrastructure problems in their neighborhoods.”

With the online reporting platform, residents and visitors alike can report quality-of-life concerns through custom service request categories via www.SeeClickFix.com, Facebook, or mobile application, and provide additional information about the problem through the in-depth description or image options.  Once someone submits an issue, the reporter and Hartford 311 Call Center will receive email notifications.  Hartford 311 will then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the issue page once it’s been resolved.

“SeeClickFix provides residents and our 311 constituent representatives with an efficient, transparent, and user-friendly forum where everyone can be kept informed about challenges (and projects completed) in their community,” said Andy Jaffee, Director of Emergency Services and Telecommunications which oversees the 311 Call Center.  “It will not only improve the lines of communication between 311 and the people it serves, but also help improve our city services overall.”

The partnership allows individuals to not only report community issues, but also view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by others. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported throughout the entire city or just in their neighborhood, enabling individuals to follow the progress of all service requests.

“Being based in Connecticut, we’re extremely excited to now count the city of Hartford among our government partners,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “The Internet continues to prove itself as a tool for civic empowerment. With our technology, we hope Hartford residents will actively engage with one another and their local government online to enact change offline.”

The SeeClickFix Hartford website can be found here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/hartford.

Residents can download iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/apps.

About SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments.  Over 40 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

The reason why I prefer SeeClickFix over 311 is its transparency. I can see where my complaint is, which means that others can too. So much gets unresolved because nobody is held accountable; a complaint can be filed and then it disappears from public view. With SeeClickFix, people can be embarrassed into doing the right thing, if that’s what it takes.

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By Kerri Provost, June 4, 2011 8:01 am

It will be illegal in Connecticut to discriminate against a person based on his or her gender identity and expression. Governor Malloy released the following statement early this morning:

This bill is another step forward in the fight for equal rights for all of Connecticut’s citizens, and it’s the right thing to do. It’s difficult enough for people who are grappling with the issue of their gender identity, and discrimination against them has no place in our society. Connecticut has lead the way in other civil rights issues and I’m proud to be able to support and sign this bill.

Check out the article on CT News Junkie to see why this bill is not really all about bathroom use.

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By Kerri Provost, June 1, 2011 2:36 pm

Lack of imagination is what creates limitations for people. We observe this in folks who see cities as mere expanses of concrete and asphalt. These are the ones who have trouble viewing anything as a success if it lacks the structure of the standard suburban shopping mall surrounded by a sea of parking spaces; predictably, this vision, this type of American Dream, is held onto most tightly by those who spend very little time in cities.They are also the ones who are surprised, if not in out-and-out denial, by the news that urban dwellers can garden. Some people have backyards that can compete with most in West Hartford, Wethersfield, or Newington. Others, like myself, have smaller yards. I like to think of mine as comparable to the “fun size” candy bars– enough to satisfy, but not so much that I feel gross when I’m done with it. Some only have windowsills or balconies to work from, though a way around this is to rent space for something like $25 per year in a community garden. At $25, without needing to fork over anything for property tax or water bills, this is a bargain. After establishing what space one will have, the next step is to plan for how it should look and where you will get your plants from. Phase one and two should probably take up most of your time, but if you are new to an area or just new to gardening, you might be just as lost about phase three (phase four, of course, is planting the goods and then maintaining them). Here is a review of some places in the area to obtain materials for the garden/yard/windowsill.

The Criteria:

• convenience of location: is this in a residential part of Hartford, another part of Hartford, out of town, on a bus line, or way out in the sticks?
• convenience of hours: does this vendor hold normal business hours, times geared toward morning people, or are they open when the planets are all aligned and the moon is in Venus?
• ambiance: no frills? warehouse? an oasis of inspiration? Is this a place that you would visit to linger, even when not seeking to purchase plants? Is this a destination or a quick stop?
• cost: dirt cheap or do they inflate the price of potting soil?
• the goods: obviously, all the above criteria doesn’t matter if the vendor does not have what you need. Is there a wide variety of plants, or just the standards? Are the plants healthy? What do they have besides plants?
• eco cred: selling plants does not automatically earn a person green cred. Are all or even some plants organically grown? Does this vendor use or sell lawn poison? Do they recycle? Do they use earth-friendly pots?

The Contenders: Continue reading 'A Guide to Getting What You Need for Growing Your Own'»