Remember those teen gang movies from the 1950s and '60s? Waterbury is beginning to look like them. The big news in the paper this week (so far) involves 20-30 kids fighting outside the Arts Magnet School downtown, and 70 kids fighting in Washington Park.
I don't know how long this trouble has been brewing, but I saw it start to manifest in my neighborhood this spring. For a couple of weeks, there were numerous teen fights involving large groups of kids, some with weapons. The girls seemed to be the ones most eager to fight and to use weapons. On the worst day, the police had to break up fights five or six times.
I don't know all the details, but one thing I heard from a neighbor was that a girl in the 8th grade was feuding with another girl and was coming to our street to start the fights. For at least one fight, her mother came to help her fight. Craziness.
The paper also recently reported on a fight between two young women that resulted in one of them getting stabbed. They were allegedly fighting over a man who had been dating both of them. More craziness--never attack each other, go after the jerk who was two-timing the both of you.!
Seriously though, why is there so much fighting going on? We could blame video games or television (I once read an article blaming the tv show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" for inspiring teen girls to fight one another), but I think that's pointless. Violence existed long before modern technology.
We seem to have a city-wide problem with teens fighting. Punishing the ones caught fighting (if you can figure out which ones were doing the fighting) isn't going to solve the problem. Maybe there is an established program for teaching kids that fighting isn't the solution to their problems. I'm sure there must be. The schools must be able to identify the kids most likely to be involved. There's probably even funding somewhere for this sort of thing.
I think another part of the equation, as much as I hate to say it, is that Waterbury is now a party city for teens and young adults. There's been a growth in the number of popular nightclubs and in nightclubs with 18+ events. (Not to mention the illegal rave in the former Odd Fellows Building on the Green--now we know what it takes to get 500 people to attend an event downtown! -- just kidding).
Waterbury has been described as a "kindergarten town" for many years. Until now, there's been nothing for teens and young adults in Waterbury (other than hanging out at the mall). Now we have nightclubs, raves and fights. Rather than seeing this as just a problem, hopefully we can see the opportunity as well. We finally have young people coming to Waterbury for their entertainment--surely there is something a little more classy and upscale that we can offer them.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Metro-North
[Disclaimer: I'm in a bad mood about this. Maybe it won't be as bad as I think. Or maybe it will be worse.]
I think the administrators at Metro-North need a good, swift kick in the pants. They need to make extensive repairs along the Waterbury branch line. Instead of doing the work at night, when the trains aren't running, they've chosen to simply not run the passenger trains for a full month, starting today until August 14. Instead, they're running buses.
The newspaper has run a couple of stories about this which included the suggestion that there might be an express bus between Waterbury and Bridgeport. I don't know if this is true or not. I'll find out tomorrow morning.
What has me very unhappy right now is the posted bus schedule. My normal train for commuting to NYC leaves Waterbury at 6:40. The replacement bus leaves at 6:25 a.m. and, according to the schedule, makes every stop along the way. No express. The same story applies to the return train at the end of the day.
They're doing the same thing to the Danbury line, but only during Off-Peak hours. I'm going to lose half an hour of my day because Metro-North loves to screw over Waterbury.
I can't wait to see what kind of bus they stick us on.
[Update, the next day:]
I take it all back. I'm still not happy about getting up a little earlier, but Metro-North has definitely put a lot of effort into making this as painless as possible. They had ten or twelve representatives on hand this morning to help out, and there were four coach buses, two of which were Peter Pan buses. In addition to which, they did run an express to Bridgeport. I'm willing to concede the earlier departure time is designed to guarantee we avoid getting stuck in traffic (not a problem when we're on the train!).
I had a little bit of motion sickness from the bus, and my toes turned blue because the a/c on the bus was set to an extremely low temperature, but I did get into NYC half an hour earlier than normal.
I think the administrators at Metro-North need a good, swift kick in the pants. They need to make extensive repairs along the Waterbury branch line. Instead of doing the work at night, when the trains aren't running, they've chosen to simply not run the passenger trains for a full month, starting today until August 14. Instead, they're running buses.
The newspaper has run a couple of stories about this which included the suggestion that there might be an express bus between Waterbury and Bridgeport. I don't know if this is true or not. I'll find out tomorrow morning.
What has me very unhappy right now is the posted bus schedule. My normal train for commuting to NYC leaves Waterbury at 6:40. The replacement bus leaves at 6:25 a.m. and, according to the schedule, makes every stop along the way. No express. The same story applies to the return train at the end of the day.
They're doing the same thing to the Danbury line, but only during Off-Peak hours. I'm going to lose half an hour of my day because Metro-North loves to screw over Waterbury.
I can't wait to see what kind of bus they stick us on.
[Update, the next day:]
I take it all back. I'm still not happy about getting up a little earlier, but Metro-North has definitely put a lot of effort into making this as painless as possible. They had ten or twelve representatives on hand this morning to help out, and there were four coach buses, two of which were Peter Pan buses. In addition to which, they did run an express to Bridgeport. I'm willing to concede the earlier departure time is designed to guarantee we avoid getting stuck in traffic (not a problem when we're on the train!).
I had a little bit of motion sickness from the bus, and my toes turned blue because the a/c on the bus was set to an extremely low temperature, but I did get into NYC half an hour earlier than normal.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
South End
I've been planning on writing this blog post for a few weeks now. The theme was going to be "why South Main Street is a terrible location for the biofuel plant." Earlier this week, I had decided that today was the day I finally would have time to get this done. Lo and behold! this morning's newspaper announced that Chestnut Hill had decided to give up on moving into Waterbury.
I was sorry to see how much animosity was involved in the announcement. I can understand their sentiment, however, since they probably assume that Larry DePillo represented all of the opposition. DePillo devotes a tremendous amount of time to protesting just about everything (okay, I'm exaggerating, it just seems like that sometimes) and he typically cites information that is either completely wrong or is correct but misinterpreted. More than once I have seen outsiders to Waterbury become exceedingly frustrated and flat-out baffled by DePillo's speeches at public hearings. While I appreciate the energy he puts into his causes, I wish he would take the time to get his facts right. He makes all of us look bad.
The Republican-American has run a few stories suggesting that those of us opposing Chestnut Hill never bothered to research the facts before arriving at our decisions to oppose the plant. I certainly was more than willing to consider their proposal in full fairness, and from what I can tell, many other opposition voices also did the research first. For more on the topic, see Bryan Baker's blog post, "Good Riddance".
Unfortunately for Chestnut Hill, the facts were damning. Their poor track record is unsettling. Their venture in New Jersey was a colossal environmental and health disaster. Their lack of respect towards the Waterbury community compounded the problem. Factor in the unsuitability of the location relative to several plans to revitalize that neighborhood, and factor in pollution concerns, and the proposal falls flat.
One question that I was going to raise before reading the news this morning, but that I think is a valid concern going forward, is the issue of pollution levels. Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention, but it seems like the amount of pollutants legally allowed for each site creating pollution (like FirstLight and Phoenix Soil) is based solely on the output of that single business. [If someone knows the answer to this, please share!] While the amount of pollutants being produced by a single business might fall within legal safety limits, the combined total pollutants being produced by all the businesses in Waterbury's flood plain area is, logically, higher. If a company wants to add a plant that creates even a miniscule amount of pollution, shouldn't the acceptability be based on the total existing pollution level?
Speaking of which, what is the current total existing pollution level in downtown and the South End?
Now that Chestnut Hill has decided to forget about Waterbury, we're left with the question of what to do with that factory site. A few people have expressed bitterness over the loss of Chestnut Hill (which I don't think is that great a loss). The great thing about this whole situation is that people are demanding to know how the city will bring that site back to life. This is fantastic. One year ago, this neighborhood barely registered on anyone's radar. The Loyola group has struggled for support. The residents of this neighborhood have struggled to have even their most basic needs met. Our success in preventing Chestnut Hill from starting their biofuel factory on South Main Street is only one small step in revitalizing an important part of our city.
The question remains, what is the future of that property? It's a large tract of land with a rich history and loads of contaminants. I decided that I should stick to my original plan of visiting the site before tossing out any suggestions.
I drove down to the South End this afternoon and parked in the side lot at PetSmart. I wound up spending almost two hours walking the perimeter of the Anamet facility (a good chunk of that time was spent talking with security guards at Ansonia Copper & Brass / FirstLight -- I was accidentally trespassing, but after I explained myself we had a really good conversation about the brass industry and what's going on now with old factory sites). I took a lot of photos and came to a few conclusions.
Basically, I have to say that the property is not well-suited for industry. Times have changed, as have logistics and expectations. The only practical way that large trucks can reach the site is from the Meadow Street exits of I-84, but even then it's a little tricky with some of the turns.
In times past, the Naugatuck and Mad Rivers were seen as power sources and convenient sewage systems. Today they have the potential to be fantastic recreational facilities and therefore a reason for people to choose to move to Waterbury. We should be working to convert the rivers to parks, rather than encouraging the restoration of industrial facilities on these magnificent resources.
Also in times past, it was considered perfectly acceptable to locate people's homes directly across the street from factories. This can't possibly be seen as acceptable today. It's just plain uncivilized.
There are factory buildings running along South Main Street from Jewelry Street to Washington Avenue. They are bleak, bland and crowd the street. They have no architectural value. Tear them down and widen South Main Street, turning it into a tree-lined boulevard with bicycle lanes and ample sidewalks. Find money from somewhere to clean up the brownfield pollution (yeah, I know, it's not that easy a task, but let's not be stopped--if we continue to complain and protest and fight like we've done the past few months, just imagine what we could accomplish!).
I don't have any answers as to what should replace the factory buildings. It needs to be something that works well within a residential neighborhood and can function as a buffer against the FirstLight facility on the other side of the river. Imagine a greenway running along the river. That could be enough of a buffer. The Anamet property could become a mixture of condos and retail.
I took too many photos to post here, so I've got them loaded onto Picasa. You can watch them as a slideshow or you can click on this link to the page and see them individually with captions/commentary and some map locations.
I was sorry to see how much animosity was involved in the announcement. I can understand their sentiment, however, since they probably assume that Larry DePillo represented all of the opposition. DePillo devotes a tremendous amount of time to protesting just about everything (okay, I'm exaggerating, it just seems like that sometimes) and he typically cites information that is either completely wrong or is correct but misinterpreted. More than once I have seen outsiders to Waterbury become exceedingly frustrated and flat-out baffled by DePillo's speeches at public hearings. While I appreciate the energy he puts into his causes, I wish he would take the time to get his facts right. He makes all of us look bad.
The Republican-American has run a few stories suggesting that those of us opposing Chestnut Hill never bothered to research the facts before arriving at our decisions to oppose the plant. I certainly was more than willing to consider their proposal in full fairness, and from what I can tell, many other opposition voices also did the research first. For more on the topic, see Bryan Baker's blog post, "Good Riddance".
Unfortunately for Chestnut Hill, the facts were damning. Their poor track record is unsettling. Their venture in New Jersey was a colossal environmental and health disaster. Their lack of respect towards the Waterbury community compounded the problem. Factor in the unsuitability of the location relative to several plans to revitalize that neighborhood, and factor in pollution concerns, and the proposal falls flat.
One question that I was going to raise before reading the news this morning, but that I think is a valid concern going forward, is the issue of pollution levels. Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention, but it seems like the amount of pollutants legally allowed for each site creating pollution (like FirstLight and Phoenix Soil) is based solely on the output of that single business. [If someone knows the answer to this, please share!] While the amount of pollutants being produced by a single business might fall within legal safety limits, the combined total pollutants being produced by all the businesses in Waterbury's flood plain area is, logically, higher. If a company wants to add a plant that creates even a miniscule amount of pollution, shouldn't the acceptability be based on the total existing pollution level?
Speaking of which, what is the current total existing pollution level in downtown and the South End?
Now that Chestnut Hill has decided to forget about Waterbury, we're left with the question of what to do with that factory site. A few people have expressed bitterness over the loss of Chestnut Hill (which I don't think is that great a loss). The great thing about this whole situation is that people are demanding to know how the city will bring that site back to life. This is fantastic. One year ago, this neighborhood barely registered on anyone's radar. The Loyola group has struggled for support. The residents of this neighborhood have struggled to have even their most basic needs met. Our success in preventing Chestnut Hill from starting their biofuel factory on South Main Street is only one small step in revitalizing an important part of our city.
The question remains, what is the future of that property? It's a large tract of land with a rich history and loads of contaminants. I decided that I should stick to my original plan of visiting the site before tossing out any suggestions.
I drove down to the South End this afternoon and parked in the side lot at PetSmart. I wound up spending almost two hours walking the perimeter of the Anamet facility (a good chunk of that time was spent talking with security guards at Ansonia Copper & Brass / FirstLight -- I was accidentally trespassing, but after I explained myself we had a really good conversation about the brass industry and what's going on now with old factory sites). I took a lot of photos and came to a few conclusions.
Basically, I have to say that the property is not well-suited for industry. Times have changed, as have logistics and expectations. The only practical way that large trucks can reach the site is from the Meadow Street exits of I-84, but even then it's a little tricky with some of the turns.
In times past, the Naugatuck and Mad Rivers were seen as power sources and convenient sewage systems. Today they have the potential to be fantastic recreational facilities and therefore a reason for people to choose to move to Waterbury. We should be working to convert the rivers to parks, rather than encouraging the restoration of industrial facilities on these magnificent resources.
Also in times past, it was considered perfectly acceptable to locate people's homes directly across the street from factories. This can't possibly be seen as acceptable today. It's just plain uncivilized.
There are factory buildings running along South Main Street from Jewelry Street to Washington Avenue. They are bleak, bland and crowd the street. They have no architectural value. Tear them down and widen South Main Street, turning it into a tree-lined boulevard with bicycle lanes and ample sidewalks. Find money from somewhere to clean up the brownfield pollution (yeah, I know, it's not that easy a task, but let's not be stopped--if we continue to complain and protest and fight like we've done the past few months, just imagine what we could accomplish!).
I don't have any answers as to what should replace the factory buildings. It needs to be something that works well within a residential neighborhood and can function as a buffer against the FirstLight facility on the other side of the river. Imagine a greenway running along the river. That could be enough of a buffer. The Anamet property could become a mixture of condos and retail.
I took too many photos to post here, so I've got them loaded onto Picasa. You can watch them as a slideshow or you can click on this link to the page and see them individually with captions/commentary and some map locations.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
North Walnut
I'm back to thinking I can stick to an exercise regime, so I went for a long walk before dinner tonight. There are some areas of the city that are very rural, even if they are looking out over very urban neighborhoods. It's all due to the trees.
I was startled when I realized what a great view there was on North Walnut Street. I think the gorgeous woods are part of Lakewood Park.
The one thing I don't like about my house is that it doesn't have views like this. Oh well.
I was startled when I realized what a great view there was on North Walnut Street. I think the gorgeous woods are part of Lakewood Park.
The one thing I don't like about my house is that it doesn't have views like this. Oh well.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Super Cool!
The kids on my street have started a new thing this summer (or it's a new group of kids, lots of renters here). Usually late in the day, they'll get together in a group, more-or-less a circle, and start clapping and chanting the beat, taking turns to bust their moves in the center of the group. Maybe I'm just old, but it's great to see kids doing something positive. It's cool enough to make me want to take out my sketchpad and start drawing them (but I don't want to make them self-conscious).
They were at it for a pretty long time, off and on, this Sunday. At the end of the evening, while some of them were waiting for their ride home, a few of the kids sat on the porch and sang the Star Spangled Banner.
While there certainly are times when all I want is total quiet, I love living in a neighborhood where people really live, instead of just going there to sleep and watch tv. I've lived on streets where you never see your neighbors, and that's kind of sad.
They were at it for a pretty long time, off and on, this Sunday. At the end of the evening, while some of them were waiting for their ride home, a few of the kids sat on the porch and sang the Star Spangled Banner.
While there certainly are times when all I want is total quiet, I love living in a neighborhood where people really live, instead of just going there to sleep and watch tv. I've lived on streets where you never see your neighbors, and that's kind of sad.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Tyranny of the Few??
Today's hot topic, on everyone's mind and keyboards, is the latest coverage of the Chestnut Hill Biofuel proposed plant. I came into this backwards today, reading the responses on Facebook before reading the article in today's Republican American, so I'm entering the discussion a little late in the game.
For me, what stood out most is the quote by Michael Maynard of Chestnut Hill, “I feel this was the tyranny of the few, a small handful of people decided to do whatever they needed to do to make sure this wouldn’t see light of day.”
Up until this point, I had been willing to consider that a better-suited location in Waterbury would be appropriate for Chestnut Hill, a location not in the densely-populated center of town (seriously, why would you put a garbage plant in the middle of town?). After reading that quote, however, I feel very strongly that I do not want to see Chestnut Hill in Waterbury. They clearly have no respect for the concerns of the community they would be moving into, already demonstrating an arrogance that will almost certainly cause trouble down the road, especially considering what happened in New Jersey.
Waterbury's residents have every right to be concerned about Chestnut Hill. Their facility in New Jersey was shut down by the DEP following complaints about the stench and citations for polluting the air and the water. We're trying to get rid of pollution in Waterbury, not increase it.
I wonder what exactly Maynard thinks is the "tyranny of the few" that has, presumably unfairly in his mind, derailed the proposed biofuel plant. Chestnut Hill has been given ample opportunity to present their side of the story. While there certainly may have been one or two people who were automatically opposed to the plan without having examined the facts, I think that the vast majority have carefully weighed the situation before coming out in opposition.
The former Anamet factory on South Main Street is a terrible location for anything that has the potential to produce air and water pollution, and it is a terrible location for added truck traffic. To my knowledge, Chestnut Hill has not yet given us any reason to believe that the problems in New Jersey won't be repeated here. How, then, can they dare to be offended when the city's residents and political leaders choose to oppose them? That's not the tyranny of the few, that's the voice of the people.
For me, what stood out most is the quote by Michael Maynard of Chestnut Hill, “I feel this was the tyranny of the few, a small handful of people decided to do whatever they needed to do to make sure this wouldn’t see light of day.”
Up until this point, I had been willing to consider that a better-suited location in Waterbury would be appropriate for Chestnut Hill, a location not in the densely-populated center of town (seriously, why would you put a garbage plant in the middle of town?). After reading that quote, however, I feel very strongly that I do not want to see Chestnut Hill in Waterbury. They clearly have no respect for the concerns of the community they would be moving into, already demonstrating an arrogance that will almost certainly cause trouble down the road, especially considering what happened in New Jersey.
Waterbury's residents have every right to be concerned about Chestnut Hill. Their facility in New Jersey was shut down by the DEP following complaints about the stench and citations for polluting the air and the water. We're trying to get rid of pollution in Waterbury, not increase it.
I wonder what exactly Maynard thinks is the "tyranny of the few" that has, presumably unfairly in his mind, derailed the proposed biofuel plant. Chestnut Hill has been given ample opportunity to present their side of the story. While there certainly may have been one or two people who were automatically opposed to the plan without having examined the facts, I think that the vast majority have carefully weighed the situation before coming out in opposition.
The former Anamet factory on South Main Street is a terrible location for anything that has the potential to produce air and water pollution, and it is a terrible location for added truck traffic. To my knowledge, Chestnut Hill has not yet given us any reason to believe that the problems in New Jersey won't be repeated here. How, then, can they dare to be offended when the city's residents and political leaders choose to oppose them? That's not the tyranny of the few, that's the voice of the people.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Waterbury Branch Line Feasibility Study
Last night I attended the public information meeting held by the Connecticut Department of Transportation concerning the Waterbury train line. Within five minutes, I was outraged and spent the next half hour forcing myself to calm down enough to ask civilized, intelligent questions, rather than launching into a tirade. I wonder if the DOT and their consultants had any idea what to expect from this meeting. I suspect they didn't, since they surely would have been better prepared to deal with the issues that were making all of us so angry. I was particularly pleased with the eloquent expressions of anger and frustration from State Senator Joan Hartley and Reginald Beamon.
For those of you who weren't able to attend the meeting, the Feasibility Study information and documents are available online at www.waterbury-newcanaanrail.org. They are accepting comments from the public if they are mailed before July 20 to:
Waterbury and New Canaan Branch Lines Needs and Feasibility Study
Andrew H. Davis, Transportation Planner II
Connecticut Department of Transportation
2800 Berlin Turnpike
Newington, CT 06131-7456
You can also email your comments, presumably to Mr. Davis (there's a comment form on the website, but also his email address) at andrew.h.davis@po.state.ct.us.
Okay, time for my comments.
I use the train to commute to NYC, but not on a daily basis. Much of the time I work from home. When I do commute, it's intense, every day for several weeks at a time and frequently very long days. In order to arrive at the office at 9:30, I need to take the 6:40 a.m. train from Waterbury. At the end of the day, if I can get out of the office quickly enough and then race to the station, I can catch the 6:42 p.m. train and get home at 9:30 p.m. If I miss the 6:42, which often is the case, I have to wait for the 9:07 and don't get home until 11:30 p.m. Sometimes the train to Waterbury isn't running (which will happen for at least a month this summer), so at the end of a very long day, when I would like to be napping, I'm packed in like a sardine onto a city bus with no room to move, no toilets, not enough seats for everyone, and no ability to relax or rest.
When the Waterbury train is taken offline this summer, I might very well drive to Bridgeport, rather than take that awful bus. The downside is that I'll have to drive home late at night when I am tired, which I am not happy about, but I'll have more flexibility for getting home early.
The Meeting Last Night
First of all, I think part of the anger and frustration last night stemmed from the information being poorly presented. At some point later in the meeting, it was implied that the long list of options was created to satisfy funding requirements--if the DOT requests funds to expand the train line, they need to prove that they have examined all of the alternatives, even if some of those alternatives are absolutely terrible. On the other hand, if they are seriously considering building a roadway alongside the train tracks to be used by buses, they are insane.
The rest of the anger and frustration stems from the way Waterbury has been shafted by the DOT for decades. The tiny little bit of barely-acceptable service we have has come from the persistent efforts of individual representatives (Beamon) who demanded that we have things like a platform, and individual train riders (I didn't catch her name) who call repeatedly to complain about cars being broken into, the train toilets being broken or lacking toilet paper, and so on. As Sen. Hartley pointed out, we have been trying to get the train line improved for decades, and so far all we've gotten are more studies and no action.
At the meeting, I was a little concerned by the fact that the consultants suggesting improvements to the train line are not working in conjunction with the consultants planning the improvements to the station, just as those consultants don't know for certain what will be happening with the rebuilding of the mixmaster, and none of those consultants seems to be aware of plans to construct a greenway along much of the train and highway routes, just as whoever is responsible for the selection of South Main Street as a likely location for the Chestnut Hill Bioenergy clearly has no clue about development plans for improving that neighborhood which would be derailed by sticking a garbage facility there. This level of chaos is a terrible way to go about planning anything.
Back to my comments on the Feasibility Study:
Do It Now!
This latest study has identified things that can and should be done right now. The primary improvement, in my mind, is the installation of signals along the line. The Waterbury line is used by passenger and freight trains without a signal system, which is why the passenger train schedule is so terrible--there is only one track and it is not safe to have more than one train on the track at the same time, even if they are going in the same direction. Without signals, there would be a collision. My understanding from last night's meeting is that if we install the signals, we can add more trains to the passenger schedule.
If we had a decent freight yard in Waterbury (in other words, if all those rusting tracks to the west of the track that gets used were reactivated), they could store passenger trains in Waterbury and thereby run more trains every day. This is how they were able to add the early-morning commuter train. When the 5:57 from Waterbury arrives at Bridgeport, the 6:40 from Waterbury is ready to depart.
I'd also like to see some upgrades to the trains themselves. Some are in good condition, but all of the toilets are terrifying, to be used only in desperation. I've noticed recently that some of the passenger seats are being randomly recovered in fabric--bad idea! The NJ Transit trains have fabric seats, which absorb all of the sweat and grime from people sitting in them. It's disgusting.
Safety at the Waterbury station could be improved right now. Tear down the abandoned building blocking the view from the street, reducing the likelihood of car being broken into. Patrol the lot regularly, not just when we complain. Keep the lot clean! The broken glass gets swept up once or twice a year. Why not contract with the city to have the street sweeper come through on a regular basis?
Improve signage for the parking lot. First time train riders can never figure out how to get to the parking lot, even if someone has explained it to them. The entrance is hidden between the little white bank building and the non-usable mini-lot.
Spend some money marketing the train. Make the quick and easy improvements to the trains and parking lot, then promote the trains. Make sure people know they exist. Make sure people know how much cheaper it is to take the train. Make sure people realize that time spent on the train is time you can spend reading, working, watching a DVD and relaxing (as opposed to driving, which is time spent driving and getting stressed out by traffic).
Do It SOON!
Electrify the Waterbury line. It boggles the mind that we have to rely on a diesel engine to go back and forth on those 27 miles of track.
Add a second track. The presenters last night seemed to think this was impossible, as there are too many bridges involved, but they also think they can build a two-lane bus road alongside the tracks for the full length, so maybe it's not that impossible after all. At the very least, add a second track along enough of the line for trains to pass one another. We need more trains.
Don't Do These At All
My outrage last night stemmed largely from the proposals to replace the train with buses. This is a terrible idea for several reasons.
Buses that use the regular highway system offer no improvements for riders. We'd still get stuck in traffic during rush hour, thereby missing our connecting train in Bridgeport, making us late for work or, worse, late for our flight at JFK or LaGuardia. (I've taken the train from Waterbury when I have a flight leaving from JFK. It's the best way to get there. You take the train to Grand Central, then hop on either a shuttle bus or the subway to the airport. No stress, no parking fees, and it can take less time than driving.)
Constructing a special roadway just for the buses seems incredibly wasteful. It will take up more space than adding a second track to the train line and adds more cost, both financial and environmental, in the long run. How many bus tires will be added to dumps when they wear out? Will the buses be electric or diesel? What type of buses will they be? (I asked this question and was told that they hadn't gotten that far yet). You can't beat the train for passenger comfort, even with a coach bus. Buses are always cramped and claustrophobic. I have a tendency to get motion sickness on buses, but never have that problem with trains.
Come to think of it, if I enjoyed taking the bus, I'd already be doing that. In fact, replacing the train with an express bus is pointless for anyone going to NYC. We already have buses (and nice ones at that) which go there from Waterbury.
Public Feedback
Try a little harder to get public feedback. At the meeting last night, we were told that the consultants surveyed passengers between 6 and 8 a.m. on one day last fall. I guess that must have been one of the days when I wasn't commuting, because I was not surveyed (or did they miss me because I was on the 5:57 and they didn't start until after that?). Ridership to/from Waterbury is highest on weekends (when there are fewer trains), and the survey missed all of those people.
They also did a phone survey, trying to find people who don't take the train. Again, I think they missed a few demographics. I know a lot of people in the Waterbury area who drive to White Plains and take the train from there because it is a nicer train experience. I know a lot of other people who don't take the train from Waterbury because the last train home is at 9:07 p.m., which means you can't take the train if you want to go to NYC for the evening. I'm not sure those concerns were reflected in their phone survey results.
Why not do a survey that is published in the newspaper and on the train and buses for a month? Then you'd really get a good result.
Final Thoughts
We need improved train service. Trains, not buses.
The DOT needs to treat Waterbury with more respect. Every time Waterbury residents demand improved public transportation, we hear the same basic illogical response. The city buses don't run past 6 p.m. because no one takes the bus after 6 p.m. (even though we keep requesting that the buses run past 6 p.m.). Not enough people take the train to justify spending money on making the train worth taking. Completely illogical. Make the train worth taking, promote the train, then a ton more people will take the train.
Don't keep us waiting. As someone said at the meeting last night, we needed these improvements yesterday.
For those of you who weren't able to attend the meeting, the Feasibility Study information and documents are available online at www.waterbury-newcanaanrail.org. They are accepting comments from the public if they are mailed before July 20 to:
Waterbury and New Canaan Branch Lines Needs and Feasibility Study
Andrew H. Davis, Transportation Planner II
Connecticut Department of Transportation
2800 Berlin Turnpike
Newington, CT 06131-7456
You can also email your comments, presumably to Mr. Davis (there's a comment form on the website, but also his email address) at andrew.h.davis@po.state.ct.us.
Okay, time for my comments.
I use the train to commute to NYC, but not on a daily basis. Much of the time I work from home. When I do commute, it's intense, every day for several weeks at a time and frequently very long days. In order to arrive at the office at 9:30, I need to take the 6:40 a.m. train from Waterbury. At the end of the day, if I can get out of the office quickly enough and then race to the station, I can catch the 6:42 p.m. train and get home at 9:30 p.m. If I miss the 6:42, which often is the case, I have to wait for the 9:07 and don't get home until 11:30 p.m. Sometimes the train to Waterbury isn't running (which will happen for at least a month this summer), so at the end of a very long day, when I would like to be napping, I'm packed in like a sardine onto a city bus with no room to move, no toilets, not enough seats for everyone, and no ability to relax or rest.
When the Waterbury train is taken offline this summer, I might very well drive to Bridgeport, rather than take that awful bus. The downside is that I'll have to drive home late at night when I am tired, which I am not happy about, but I'll have more flexibility for getting home early.
The Meeting Last Night
First of all, I think part of the anger and frustration last night stemmed from the information being poorly presented. At some point later in the meeting, it was implied that the long list of options was created to satisfy funding requirements--if the DOT requests funds to expand the train line, they need to prove that they have examined all of the alternatives, even if some of those alternatives are absolutely terrible. On the other hand, if they are seriously considering building a roadway alongside the train tracks to be used by buses, they are insane.
The rest of the anger and frustration stems from the way Waterbury has been shafted by the DOT for decades. The tiny little bit of barely-acceptable service we have has come from the persistent efforts of individual representatives (Beamon) who demanded that we have things like a platform, and individual train riders (I didn't catch her name) who call repeatedly to complain about cars being broken into, the train toilets being broken or lacking toilet paper, and so on. As Sen. Hartley pointed out, we have been trying to get the train line improved for decades, and so far all we've gotten are more studies and no action.
At the meeting, I was a little concerned by the fact that the consultants suggesting improvements to the train line are not working in conjunction with the consultants planning the improvements to the station, just as those consultants don't know for certain what will be happening with the rebuilding of the mixmaster, and none of those consultants seems to be aware of plans to construct a greenway along much of the train and highway routes, just as whoever is responsible for the selection of South Main Street as a likely location for the Chestnut Hill Bioenergy clearly has no clue about development plans for improving that neighborhood which would be derailed by sticking a garbage facility there. This level of chaos is a terrible way to go about planning anything.
Back to my comments on the Feasibility Study:
Do It Now!
This latest study has identified things that can and should be done right now. The primary improvement, in my mind, is the installation of signals along the line. The Waterbury line is used by passenger and freight trains without a signal system, which is why the passenger train schedule is so terrible--there is only one track and it is not safe to have more than one train on the track at the same time, even if they are going in the same direction. Without signals, there would be a collision. My understanding from last night's meeting is that if we install the signals, we can add more trains to the passenger schedule.
If we had a decent freight yard in Waterbury (in other words, if all those rusting tracks to the west of the track that gets used were reactivated), they could store passenger trains in Waterbury and thereby run more trains every day. This is how they were able to add the early-morning commuter train. When the 5:57 from Waterbury arrives at Bridgeport, the 6:40 from Waterbury is ready to depart.
I'd also like to see some upgrades to the trains themselves. Some are in good condition, but all of the toilets are terrifying, to be used only in desperation. I've noticed recently that some of the passenger seats are being randomly recovered in fabric--bad idea! The NJ Transit trains have fabric seats, which absorb all of the sweat and grime from people sitting in them. It's disgusting.
Safety at the Waterbury station could be improved right now. Tear down the abandoned building blocking the view from the street, reducing the likelihood of car being broken into. Patrol the lot regularly, not just when we complain. Keep the lot clean! The broken glass gets swept up once or twice a year. Why not contract with the city to have the street sweeper come through on a regular basis?
Improve signage for the parking lot. First time train riders can never figure out how to get to the parking lot, even if someone has explained it to them. The entrance is hidden between the little white bank building and the non-usable mini-lot.
Spend some money marketing the train. Make the quick and easy improvements to the trains and parking lot, then promote the trains. Make sure people know they exist. Make sure people know how much cheaper it is to take the train. Make sure people realize that time spent on the train is time you can spend reading, working, watching a DVD and relaxing (as opposed to driving, which is time spent driving and getting stressed out by traffic).
Do It SOON!
Electrify the Waterbury line. It boggles the mind that we have to rely on a diesel engine to go back and forth on those 27 miles of track.
Add a second track. The presenters last night seemed to think this was impossible, as there are too many bridges involved, but they also think they can build a two-lane bus road alongside the tracks for the full length, so maybe it's not that impossible after all. At the very least, add a second track along enough of the line for trains to pass one another. We need more trains.
Don't Do These At All
My outrage last night stemmed largely from the proposals to replace the train with buses. This is a terrible idea for several reasons.
Buses that use the regular highway system offer no improvements for riders. We'd still get stuck in traffic during rush hour, thereby missing our connecting train in Bridgeport, making us late for work or, worse, late for our flight at JFK or LaGuardia. (I've taken the train from Waterbury when I have a flight leaving from JFK. It's the best way to get there. You take the train to Grand Central, then hop on either a shuttle bus or the subway to the airport. No stress, no parking fees, and it can take less time than driving.)
Constructing a special roadway just for the buses seems incredibly wasteful. It will take up more space than adding a second track to the train line and adds more cost, both financial and environmental, in the long run. How many bus tires will be added to dumps when they wear out? Will the buses be electric or diesel? What type of buses will they be? (I asked this question and was told that they hadn't gotten that far yet). You can't beat the train for passenger comfort, even with a coach bus. Buses are always cramped and claustrophobic. I have a tendency to get motion sickness on buses, but never have that problem with trains.
Come to think of it, if I enjoyed taking the bus, I'd already be doing that. In fact, replacing the train with an express bus is pointless for anyone going to NYC. We already have buses (and nice ones at that) which go there from Waterbury.
Public Feedback
Try a little harder to get public feedback. At the meeting last night, we were told that the consultants surveyed passengers between 6 and 8 a.m. on one day last fall. I guess that must have been one of the days when I wasn't commuting, because I was not surveyed (or did they miss me because I was on the 5:57 and they didn't start until after that?). Ridership to/from Waterbury is highest on weekends (when there are fewer trains), and the survey missed all of those people.
They also did a phone survey, trying to find people who don't take the train. Again, I think they missed a few demographics. I know a lot of people in the Waterbury area who drive to White Plains and take the train from there because it is a nicer train experience. I know a lot of other people who don't take the train from Waterbury because the last train home is at 9:07 p.m., which means you can't take the train if you want to go to NYC for the evening. I'm not sure those concerns were reflected in their phone survey results.
Why not do a survey that is published in the newspaper and on the train and buses for a month? Then you'd really get a good result.
Final Thoughts
We need improved train service. Trains, not buses.
The DOT needs to treat Waterbury with more respect. Every time Waterbury residents demand improved public transportation, we hear the same basic illogical response. The city buses don't run past 6 p.m. because no one takes the bus after 6 p.m. (even though we keep requesting that the buses run past 6 p.m.). Not enough people take the train to justify spending money on making the train worth taking. Completely illogical. Make the train worth taking, promote the train, then a ton more people will take the train.
Don't keep us waiting. As someone said at the meeting last night, we needed these improvements yesterday.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Twelfth Night
It's that time again! The Fifth Annual Shakespeare in Library Park performances will be held on six nights, Thursday through Saturday, June 18-20 and June 25-27. Performances begin at 7 p.m., picnicking starts at 6:30. It's always a great event, so don't miss out!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Death Row
Some disturbing statistics: Connecticut is tied with Texas(!) for the highest percentage (70%) of death row inmates who are minorities, and half of Connecticut's death row inmates come from Waterbury, even though we have only 3% of the state's population (see http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48753351-naacp-decries-connecticut-governor-jodi-rell-for-veto-of-anti-death-penalty-legi# for that stats and story).
Considering that a good portion of the rest of the state loves to hate Waterbury, is someone from Waterbury more likely to receive a death sentence because he or she is from Waterbury?
Considering that a good portion of the rest of the state loves to hate Waterbury, is someone from Waterbury more likely to receive a death sentence because he or she is from Waterbury?
Monday, June 08, 2009
Garden Days
The weather this weekend was beautiful, and I've been too busy to keep up with my yard work until now, so I brought the weed whacker, rake, clippers and gloves up from the basement and did what I could to bring some order to my yard. I am not a gardening expert by any stretch of the imagination, but for the most part I can tell the difference between weeds and things I planted last year.
Weeds are amazing. They sprout up everywhere and grow SO fast! Does anyone know what this yellow flower is? It "bleeds" orange dye.
The downside to pulling up the weeds: the trash that blows into my side yard from the neighboring corner store becomes very visible.
Rogozhin carefully supervised all my activities by lying down wherever I was working. When I took a break and put my gloves on the ground, he stretched himself out on top of them almost immediately.
Here's the post-weeding, pre-litter pick up view alongside the garage. Fortunately, this part of the yard is hidden by a privacy fence--it would have been very funny if the blight patrol had cited me for overgrown weeds potentially harboring rats, considering that the weeds were mostly harboring cats (my cats, the neighbors' cats, stray cats....).
The fern growing wild in the side yard is still going strong. It was one of several pleasant surprises when I bought the house two years ago. After I cleared out the weeds back then, and picked up all the garbage, I found that I had a fern, some trillium, and wisteria vines snaking everywhere. This is one of the things I like about Waterbury--it's a city, but it's still full of Nature.
A bonus for this year: one of the carrots I planted last year is growing this year! Amazing! (Honestly, if anything I put in the ground fails to shrivel up and die, I'm amazed.)
Next weekend, assuming the weather is nice, I need to dig up the side yard and put down some sort of drainage system to cut back on the amount of fungus growing on the basement wall. I might even get really ambitious and try planting a vegetable garden again.
Weeds are amazing. They sprout up everywhere and grow SO fast! Does anyone know what this yellow flower is? It "bleeds" orange dye.
The downside to pulling up the weeds: the trash that blows into my side yard from the neighboring corner store becomes very visible.
Rogozhin carefully supervised all my activities by lying down wherever I was working. When I took a break and put my gloves on the ground, he stretched himself out on top of them almost immediately.
Here's the post-weeding, pre-litter pick up view alongside the garage. Fortunately, this part of the yard is hidden by a privacy fence--it would have been very funny if the blight patrol had cited me for overgrown weeds potentially harboring rats, considering that the weeds were mostly harboring cats (my cats, the neighbors' cats, stray cats....).
The fern growing wild in the side yard is still going strong. It was one of several pleasant surprises when I bought the house two years ago. After I cleared out the weeds back then, and picked up all the garbage, I found that I had a fern, some trillium, and wisteria vines snaking everywhere. This is one of the things I like about Waterbury--it's a city, but it's still full of Nature.
A bonus for this year: one of the carrots I planted last year is growing this year! Amazing! (Honestly, if anything I put in the ground fails to shrivel up and die, I'm amazed.)
Next weekend, assuming the weather is nice, I need to dig up the side yard and put down some sort of drainage system to cut back on the amount of fungus growing on the basement wall. I might even get really ambitious and try planting a vegetable garden again.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Waterbury, the new Wild West
After much consideration, I think I know what I think about the recent incidents in my neighborhood involving guns, fights and insufficient police presence (at the time--loads of police presence since then; my complaints brought an immediate strong and good response from the Mayor's office and from the Police Department). I had a lot of responses from the police, city officials, and private citizens in Waterbury and outside Waterbury, and I have had ample time to calm down and think things through rationally.
A response from J. Paul Vance, Jr. sums things up very well: "There are some areas of Waterbury that sometimes I wonder if we have just ceded to lawlessness and it is not acceptable." I think Vance is on to something with this idea.
Several people responded to my story with the insistence that police in suburban towns would have responded to the report of gunshots and to the report of groups of people fighting in the street with extreme presence: immediate convergence of five or six police cars, lights flashing and sirens wailing, followed by the police not leaving the neighborhood until they had figured out who to arrest or until everyone had gone inside for the night and order was firmly restored.
I'm still not sure what I think about that, since it sounds a little too much like a police state. But there's no denying the pervasive lawlessness that exists in Waterbury. There is an expectation that the Waterbury police won't do anything unless someone gets killed. There is an attitude, which seems to be widely-held, that there is no real law enforcement here. If you want the law enforced, you have to demand it.
For example, there is no enforcement of road laws and everyone knows it, which contributes to a Wild West feel in Waterbury. There have been fatal collisions caused by excessive speeding and by running of red lights. Speed limits and stop signs are in place for good reasons, and should not be ignored. But in Waterbury, there is no law, it's the Wild West, and if you have the audacity (for example) to obey the 25 mph speed limit while driving past Fulton Park on Cooke Street, which is typically narrow, lined with cars, and prone to small children running across the road, the chances are good that you'll end up with an infuriated driver behind you. If you're lucky, all that driver will do is pass you on the other side of the road (despite the fact that it's not a passing zone) while shouting insults at you. Imagine that: being punished for obeying the law.
There was a snippet article in today's Republican-American noting that the Board of Aldermen have voted to amend the city's noise control ordinance allowing police officers to use their discretion to determine if a noise is too loud, rather than relying on a decibel meter. While this sounds like a lovely thing, I wonder if it will have any effect. There is no neighborhood in Waterbury that isn't plagued by car stereos with the bass jacked up so much that your house's wall vibrate when they go by, but I have never seen any sign of the police doing anything about it. The snippet article (in the "Daily Digest") also noted that the updated ordinance gives residents a new way to complain to the police. Wild West again--the law is sitting back waiting to be told to do their jobs by outraged townfolk.
One person told me a story about a friend of his who phoned the police to report an incident on Congress Ave. (I think I'm remembering the street correctly) involving a violent fight between a couple. According to the story, it took the police 20 minutes to arrive. I can't vouch for any of the details of this story (let alone my memory of how it was related to me!), but the conclusion was that this never would have happened in a "nice" neighborhood or town.
This led me down another avenue of thought. What defines a "nice" neighborhood? Generally speaking, the "nice" neighborhoods have well-kept houses with no boards over windows, sidewalks that are in good condition and wide enough to use (WHY do so many sidewalks in Waterbury have telephone poles in the middle, making them unusable?), streets that are free from potholes, streets with fresh, easy-to-see, painted markings, and well-maintained landscaping.
In my neighborhood, there is a large number of boarded up, abandoned, decaying buildings. The sidewalks are mostly unusable, with sink holes in a number of places. The owner-occupied homes have decent landscaping, as do some of the tenant-occupied homes (although other tenant-occupied homes are in a terrible condition).
Last summer, the small children in my neighborhood (which, I should add, has no park; there is a very small playground at the WOW Center, but it is locked behind a gate) found most of their entertainment in destructive behavior. On one of the occasions when I scolded them, I asked them why they would try to tear down their own street. Their answer? "It's already trashed."
I can see their point. Eight years old, all they see is the decay and neglect. If the city doesn't care enough to take care of the neighborhood, why should they?
Litter is a huge problem in Waterbury, more than in other cities. As I understand it, the psychology is that people are more likely to litter if trash is already present. Like the eight-year-olds, are other people littering in Waterbury because they figure the city is already in such a state of decay, a little more trash won't hurt any?
My attitude is that I love this city, I love my neighborhood, I love my street, I love my home. I feel that I have a responsibility to make my house and yard look good because other people have to look at it. I do what I can to improve the city, because I think it's the right thing to do. I draw inspiration from the civic leaders of the past who made the city a better place. And I recognize that not everyone shares my viewpoint.
I think that Waterbury's future will be bright if we demand it. One of the many components of this is to get rid of the Wild West lawlessness. We need to demand a higher standard of behavior, and we need to expect that the laws will be enforced throughout the city, even in neighborhoods where the residents are afraid to complain.
Most of all, we need a public awareness campaign. We need to change the public sentiment in this city from "who cares?" to "I care, and I know I can make a difference." The city needs to do everything it can to get rid of the blight, but until a large majority of the residents understand the power of civic pride, progress will continue to move at a snail's pace.
A response from J. Paul Vance, Jr. sums things up very well: "There are some areas of Waterbury that sometimes I wonder if we have just ceded to lawlessness and it is not acceptable." I think Vance is on to something with this idea.
Several people responded to my story with the insistence that police in suburban towns would have responded to the report of gunshots and to the report of groups of people fighting in the street with extreme presence: immediate convergence of five or six police cars, lights flashing and sirens wailing, followed by the police not leaving the neighborhood until they had figured out who to arrest or until everyone had gone inside for the night and order was firmly restored.
I'm still not sure what I think about that, since it sounds a little too much like a police state. But there's no denying the pervasive lawlessness that exists in Waterbury. There is an expectation that the Waterbury police won't do anything unless someone gets killed. There is an attitude, which seems to be widely-held, that there is no real law enforcement here. If you want the law enforced, you have to demand it.
For example, there is no enforcement of road laws and everyone knows it, which contributes to a Wild West feel in Waterbury. There have been fatal collisions caused by excessive speeding and by running of red lights. Speed limits and stop signs are in place for good reasons, and should not be ignored. But in Waterbury, there is no law, it's the Wild West, and if you have the audacity (for example) to obey the 25 mph speed limit while driving past Fulton Park on Cooke Street, which is typically narrow, lined with cars, and prone to small children running across the road, the chances are good that you'll end up with an infuriated driver behind you. If you're lucky, all that driver will do is pass you on the other side of the road (despite the fact that it's not a passing zone) while shouting insults at you. Imagine that: being punished for obeying the law.
There was a snippet article in today's Republican-American noting that the Board of Aldermen have voted to amend the city's noise control ordinance allowing police officers to use their discretion to determine if a noise is too loud, rather than relying on a decibel meter. While this sounds like a lovely thing, I wonder if it will have any effect. There is no neighborhood in Waterbury that isn't plagued by car stereos with the bass jacked up so much that your house's wall vibrate when they go by, but I have never seen any sign of the police doing anything about it. The snippet article (in the "Daily Digest") also noted that the updated ordinance gives residents a new way to complain to the police. Wild West again--the law is sitting back waiting to be told to do their jobs by outraged townfolk.
One person told me a story about a friend of his who phoned the police to report an incident on Congress Ave. (I think I'm remembering the street correctly) involving a violent fight between a couple. According to the story, it took the police 20 minutes to arrive. I can't vouch for any of the details of this story (let alone my memory of how it was related to me!), but the conclusion was that this never would have happened in a "nice" neighborhood or town.
This led me down another avenue of thought. What defines a "nice" neighborhood? Generally speaking, the "nice" neighborhoods have well-kept houses with no boards over windows, sidewalks that are in good condition and wide enough to use (WHY do so many sidewalks in Waterbury have telephone poles in the middle, making them unusable?), streets that are free from potholes, streets with fresh, easy-to-see, painted markings, and well-maintained landscaping.
In my neighborhood, there is a large number of boarded up, abandoned, decaying buildings. The sidewalks are mostly unusable, with sink holes in a number of places. The owner-occupied homes have decent landscaping, as do some of the tenant-occupied homes (although other tenant-occupied homes are in a terrible condition).
Last summer, the small children in my neighborhood (which, I should add, has no park; there is a very small playground at the WOW Center, but it is locked behind a gate) found most of their entertainment in destructive behavior. On one of the occasions when I scolded them, I asked them why they would try to tear down their own street. Their answer? "It's already trashed."
I can see their point. Eight years old, all they see is the decay and neglect. If the city doesn't care enough to take care of the neighborhood, why should they?
Litter is a huge problem in Waterbury, more than in other cities. As I understand it, the psychology is that people are more likely to litter if trash is already present. Like the eight-year-olds, are other people littering in Waterbury because they figure the city is already in such a state of decay, a little more trash won't hurt any?
My attitude is that I love this city, I love my neighborhood, I love my street, I love my home. I feel that I have a responsibility to make my house and yard look good because other people have to look at it. I do what I can to improve the city, because I think it's the right thing to do. I draw inspiration from the civic leaders of the past who made the city a better place. And I recognize that not everyone shares my viewpoint.
I think that Waterbury's future will be bright if we demand it. One of the many components of this is to get rid of the Wild West lawlessness. We need to demand a higher standard of behavior, and we need to expect that the laws will be enforced throughout the city, even in neighborhoods where the residents are afraid to complain.
Most of all, we need a public awareness campaign. We need to change the public sentiment in this city from "who cares?" to "I care, and I know I can make a difference." The city needs to do everything it can to get rid of the blight, but until a large majority of the residents understand the power of civic pride, progress will continue to move at a snail's pace.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
More on Chestnut Hill
The more I learn about the proposed biofuel plant, the less I like about it. Turns out the company, Chestnut Hill, has a long, long list of environmental violations, not just the smell problem that was publicized.
One of the comments added to my blog post on the topic made a very good point: "If the local waste water treatment facility is not involved in the discussions, this plant could bring the existing WWTP to its knees. Smell is obviously a big issue, as is the compost on the back end. Folks love to call it organic but typically the compost is full of material that wouldn't digest, like plastics, glass, etc."
After all the things I've learned about Chestnut Hill and the logistics of the intended location on South Main Street, I have to say that I am firmly against the plan as it currently stands.
For more (and more informed) reading on the topic, visit the Waterbury Observer blog for an article from May 14 by John Murray. Also visit the blog of Bryan P. Baker, who is a member of Waterbury's Environmental Commission, has been following the topic very closely and has posted several times regarding his thoughts on the matter.
One of the comments added to my blog post on the topic made a very good point: "If the local waste water treatment facility is not involved in the discussions, this plant could bring the existing WWTP to its knees. Smell is obviously a big issue, as is the compost on the back end. Folks love to call it organic but typically the compost is full of material that wouldn't digest, like plastics, glass, etc."
After all the things I've learned about Chestnut Hill and the logistics of the intended location on South Main Street, I have to say that I am firmly against the plan as it currently stands.
For more (and more informed) reading on the topic, visit the Waterbury Observer blog for an article from May 14 by John Murray. Also visit the blog of Bryan P. Baker, who is a member of Waterbury's Environmental Commission, has been following the topic very closely and has posted several times regarding his thoughts on the matter.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Buckingham Ramparage
The next time you're downtown, be sure to check out the new mural installed on the side of the Buckingham parking garage last week. The mural was painted recently as part of an after-school arts program in collaboration with Main Street Waterbury, which targeted improvements to downtown parking for their Ultimate Workplan last year.
Also installed recently as part of the improvement project is a public toilet in the garage; and recently launched is the website Downtown Waterbury Parking.
Also installed recently as part of the improvement project is a public toilet in the garage; and recently launched is the website Downtown Waterbury Parking.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Bank Street Open House
Merchants on Bank and Grand Streets will be hosting an Open House on Thursday, May 28, 5-8 p.m. There will be a lot of great things to do and see. Bank Street will be closed to vehicle traffic for the event.
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