What’s New on HartfordInfo.org

July 2008

What’s New on HartfordInfo.org is a periodic update announcing recent additions to HartfordInfo.org. Please feel free to forward this message to others. To be added to the distribution list send an email message through our feedback page.

HartfordInfo.org, a program of the Hartford Public Library, is a gateway to information and data on issues important to those who live and work in Hartford and the region.

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New Community Programs on HartfordInfo.org:

To view any of these recent programs, go to www.hartfordinfo.org and click on the View Community Programs box on the right side of the page:

Hartford in the Global Economy: Can We Compete for Jobs, Talent, and Capital?
The Subprime Lending Crisis: What Does It Mean for Hartford and the Region?
What Is the Future of I-84 in Hartford? Part II: A Citizen's Forum
Charter Reform 101

New Reports on HartfordInfo.org:

Where Have All the Children Gone? - Based on projections from the Connecticut State Data Center, the school-aged population is expected to decline by 90,000 by 2020. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “children gone” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
City of Hartford Quality of Life Reports - These reports fulfill recommendations of the Keeping Hartford Clean report of the Quality of Life Working Committee of the Hartford City Council. The most recent report is for the 3rd Quarter of 2007-2008. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “quality of life reports” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Get on the Bus - This paper presents some personal thoughts of the author, Anton Rick-Ossen, about the Hartford bus system. Mr. Rick-Ossen makes extensive use of the CT Transit system. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “on the bus” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Upper Albany: Looking Forward - The 2008 annual advertising supplement to the Hartford Courant, put together by Upper Albany Main Street (UAMS), which spotlights the growth and success of a variety of development projects and neighborhood businesses in Upper Albany. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “looking forward” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Comparison of Existing Anti-Blight Ordinance with Amendments Adopted by Council March 24, 2008 & June 9, 2008 - A table prepared by Hartford 2000 which compares the existing Hartford anti-blight ordinance with the amended version, and which includes an explanation of the rationale for the changes. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “anti-blight” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
What Is the Future of I-84 in Hartford? Part II: A Citizen's Forum - The elevated section of I-84 through downtown Hartford is deteriorating. This PowerPoint presentation describes the situation as an opportunity to re-imagine the entire central area of Hartford building on the tenets of responsible growth, improved regional transportation, and intermodalism. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “future I-84” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”

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New Articles on HartfordInfo.org:

Through agreements with the Hartford Courant, the Hartford Business Journal, the Hartford News, the Hartford Advocate, and the Northend Agent's, HartfordInfo.org continues to offer selected articles as permanent additions to the web site. Some recent additions include:

Hartford Teacher Wins National Award - A math teacher at Lewis Fox Middle School was recently awarded the 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “teacher award ” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Baseball Set For Rebirth In Hartford's South End - Benjamin Cruse, director of youth services for the nonprofit Leadership Greater Hartford, led more than 100 kids into Hyland Park for Opening Day of the new Southside Little League recently. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “baseball set” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Richard Weaver-Bey - Richard A. Weaver-Bey, President and CEO of both Greater Hartford Realty Management Corporation, and WKND Radio, departed this life suddenly on Saturday May 17, 2008. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “WKND” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
City Slates $50M For Neighborhood Rehabs - The city of Hartford will soon launch a new program to improve neighborhoods such as Northeast and Frog Hollow. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “rehabs” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Carbone Recovering From Assault - Three weeks after Hartford surgeons reconstructed his face, Nick Carbone is recovering from an assault that touched off a flood of concern about public safety in Hartford. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “carbone" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Hartford’s Black Eye - Hartford’s reputation nosedived recently as the national news media played — and replayed — a 90-second video of a hit-and-run on Park Street that left a 78-year-old man paralyzed from the neck down. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “black eye” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Heroism Or Hesitation? - Since Angel Arce Torres was hit by a driver who fled the scene, there has been endless dissection of videotape of the accident. Social psychologists say it has nothing to do with heartlessness and everything to do with how our mind works in an emergency. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “heroism” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
No Comment - A rash of violence, intemperate online comments, and outspoken critiques sharply divide Hartford, a city grappling with crime and its own public image. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “comment" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Foreclosures Blindsiding Renters - Many low-income families are being evicted because their landlord fell behind on mortgage payments. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “renters” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Report: State's Poor Pay Most, Proportionately, In Taxes - Connecticut's wealthiest families pay less than 5 percent of their income toward state and local taxes, while the state's poor and middle-income families pay as much as 10.9 percent, according to a report issued recently by Connecticut Voices for Children. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “poor taxes” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Greenway Journey Begins - After 10 years of effort by many, many people, the first leg of the South Branch Trail of Hartford's Park River Greenway is about to become a reality. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “city trail” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Settlement May Help Poor Get Dental Care - A settlement that promises to dramatically increase state payments to dentists may help poor children get dental care. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “dental settlement” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Happy Office Surprise: Downtown Hartford - For small businesses, the move from suburb to downtown Hartford is becoming more common as an increasing number of companies are leasing smaller spaces. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “office surprise ” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Suited To Succeed - Dress for Success, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to helping women overcome obstacles to find employment and advance their careers by providing a good suit. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “dress success” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Rell to Cities: Drop Dead - Gov. Jodi Rell unilaterally cut $160 million from the state budget in June 2008, slashing millions from non-school construction-related bond funding for Connecticut's five biggest cities. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “rell cities" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
The Small Biz Payout - A year ago, Hartford small business owners warned they wouldn't survive a 100 percent increase in property taxes. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “payout" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
United Effort Would Burnish Hartford's Hub - Nicholas Caruso suggests that were several initiatives coordinated, Hartford could pull off a phenomenal, comprehensive urban project that would include highway revision, greenway development, neighborhood rehabilitation, transit development and green design. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “urban project” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Hartford's High School Graduation Requirements Change - A key proposal by Superintendent Steven J. Adamowski to upgrade standards and improve college readiness among city high school students by toughening graduation requirements was adopted by the school board recently. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “graduation change" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
American Friend Helps Settle People Of Other Cultures - Jody Putnam heads the refugee assistance program that operates out of Jubilee House, visiting the various refugee communities in the city. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “american friend" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Closing Library Branches Was Painful, Necessary - This year, given the deepest budget cuts the library have ever faced, the board of directors of the Hartford Public Library was forced to make painful decisions regarding library services and hours. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “closing library" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Tom Parrish’s Station - For over fifteen years in the 1950s and 60s, “Tom’s Service Station,” in the Hartford Clay Arsenal neighborhood, was a place where many of Tom Parrish’s friends, customers and people from all walks of life, tended to congregate. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “parrish” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Remain in Blight? - Hartford activists grapple with the city for tougher rules regarding blighted properties. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “blight" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Just a Paycheck Away - Homelessness is on the rise in Connecticut. Those on the front lines say the tanking economy, punishing fuel costs and housing mortgage mess are all contributing factors. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “paycheck" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
The Science Of Predictions - Connecticut Science Center officials have developed a master plan for the center. They have based the operating budget of $8.5 million on attendance estimates from the industry and local attractions. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “predictions" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Hard Times At Twain's House - One of Hartford's international landmarks, the Mark Twain House, struggles to remain fully funded and relevant. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “Twain" in the Google search box and then click “Search.”

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