Timber!
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This afternoon, for no apparent reason, a tree uprooted itself. Continue reading 'Timber!'»
Category: weather
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New Wadsworth Exhibit Receives High Marks
By Kerri Provost, May 7, 2010 6:44 am
High Water Marks: Art & Renewal After Katrina opened in the Amistad Center for Art & Culture (within the Wadsworth Atheneum) at the beginning of May.
Music — which should be pumped throughout the museum, so that the deafening solitude which marks it vanishes into the background — plays in the exhibit, to help set the mood. One of my strongest recollections of a trip to MASS MoCA last summer was the music that was part of a New Orleans’ themed artwork. The uptempo jazz was juxtaposed with photos of New Orleans– a culturally natural and appropriate combination, but odd when the images were of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction. Here, at the Wadsworth, a similar thing happens when this music (though the volume is fairly muted) is the backdrop for a Katrina-themed exhibit.
This exhibit contains an interesting mix of materials — washboard, pots and pans, an umbrella, wood, and then more traditional media. The “Black Bowl” by Donald Boudreaux is a black umbrella against a black backdrop. The artist invites visitors to sit in a chair to view it. From this spot, one can look out the window and see the giant red Travelers’ umbrella. Luis Cruz Azaceta’s “At the Bottom of the Pot” is an assortment of pots and pans that are covered with photographs depicting Hurricane Katrina’s damage. Radcliffe Barley’s “Storm at Sea” is a dramatic mixed media piece that blocks off an entire hallway.
The exhibit runs through mid-September of this year.
Fine Day for a Parade
By Kerri Provost, March 13, 2010 5:23 pm
It was cold and wet, which seems suitable for a day celebrating Irish heritage. These photos were taken at Hartford’s 2010 St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Continue reading 'Fine Day for a Parade'»
Scenes from the Sidewalk: Installment Thirteen
By Kerri Provost, March 3, 2010 6:13 am
The Park River has been daylighted!
Continue reading 'Scenes from the Sidewalk: Installment Thirteen'»
Snow Rules Reminder
By Kerri Provost, December 21, 2009 1:37 am
During my late afternoon adventures on Sunday, I noticed that sections of sidewalk were not cleared. The Department of Public Works has posted:
It is the responsibility of the property owner to remove snow within 2 hours after it has fallen, or within 3 hours after sunrise if the snow fell in the night. It is illegal to put the snow into the street.
In the case of an ICE storm, the sidewalk must be sanded within 1 hour.
Residential buildings and homes seemed to do a decent job of clearing snow from sidewalks in a reasonable period of time; I can not say the same for many of the snow removal job in front of numerous businesses. Along one section of Trumbull Street, I found only one crosswalk that had been cleared, and upon reaching the other side, saw that nobody bother clearing a path from the street onto the sidewalk. Continue reading 'Snow Rules Reminder'»
Car-Free in Hartford
By Kerri Provost, December 4, 2009 2:00 pm
I have consistently heard that people need cars in Hartford. The lack of grocery stores in downtown is one reason cited for this claim. The lack of public transportation is also evidenced. Recently, in discussions about the Plan of Conservation and Development, this car “need” as been brought up as reason for why young urban professionals are hesitant to move downtown or come into the city for entertainment.
I live in one of Hartford’s neighborhoods. By someone’s definition, I am a young professional, though I despise that term. I do not have children. I am able-bodied, though have never been the type of person to “exercise.”
Since early October, I have been without a car. I have not starved to death, nor have I taken to wandering the streets naked (you’re welcome!).
Here is an explanation for how I have been able to meet my various needs and wants while living in Hartford without a car. Continue reading 'Car-Free in Hartford'»
No Homeless: The Special Just-in-time-for-Thanksgiving Edition
By Kerri Provost, November 19, 2009 7:42 am
Two days ago Cityline published a letter that Rich Wareing sent to numerous individuals regarding the plan to house a “no freeze” shelter at the Center Church downtown. He wrote:
Indeed, that Mr. McGovern would seriously consider locating a facilty which the City estimates will be 50% utilized by registered sex offenders across the street from two apartment buildings, three blocks from a magnet high school, and right in the middle of the most signficant business and entertainment district in the city, speaks volumes about the City’s disregard for the welfare of its voters, taxpayers, visitors, and children.
While keeping sex offenders away from youth sounds like an altruistic goal, I believe this argument is deceptive. Here’s why:
In the past, Hartford has had a no freeze shelter. This is not a brand new creation. The previous one was housed at 255 Washington Street, but a mile — if walking – from the new one. I even created a map to show this:
View homeless shelters in a larger map
What do you notice about the location of the old shelter on Washington Street? For someone with no familiarity with Hartford, the only two things that really should grab his attention would be that it was located in a very residential area, as one can see a number of houses nearby, and that it was very close to the Connecticut Childrens Medical Center.
Continue reading 'No Homeless: The Special Just-in-time-for-Thanksgiving Edition'»
