Black Hole of Calcutta
Bela Kiss
Thursday, June 01, 2006
"Civilized Disobedience"
Outdoor dining & drinking on West Main Street, courtesy of Main Street Waterbury, La Cazuela and Boru's. It started at 5pm. This photo was taken at 7:45, as a thunder storm slowly rolled up the river valley.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Intersection Improvements?
Someone from the city has marked up the area around the Willow-Pine-Johnson intersection with white spray paint. It looks like they might finally be moving forward with installing traffic lights. Or they're about to tear up the streets and sidewalks for some sort of maintenance... I hope it's traffic lights. This intersection needs help. It annoys me that the intersection of Willow and Calumet Street (way up Willow Street, in the Overlook neighborhood, with very large, expensive single-family homes) is a three-way stop, even though there's never any traffic and visibility is fine, while down on lower Willow (where it's all multi-family housing and low-income residents) where all-way stops are desperately needed, there's nothing.
I'm not convinced that traffic lights are the best solution. Given the way people drive in this city, it might make the intersection more dangerous. Drivers coming down Willow Street are going to speed up as soon as they see a yellow light. Instead of cruising through the intersection at 40mph, they'll be doing 60mph. Stop signs would be better. And cheaper. But, I suppose, traffic lights will cut down on the number of accidents and the overall frustration.
And while I'm on the topic, there are a few other intersections in Waterbury that need help. The intersection of Willow Street and Hillside Avenue is pretty tricky. The intersection of Wood and Walnut Streets is awful. If you're trying to make a left turn from Wood onto Walnut, you have to pull out far enough to get hit in order to see more than 10 feet down the road. And the intersection of Walnut Street and East Farm Street is a nightmare. If you're headed west on East Farm, it looks like you go straight onto Walnut, which means cutting across the eastbound traffic on East Farm, because they don't have a stop sign (even though it looks like they should).
I'd also like to see Waterville Street get repaved. The pot holes are so large and numerous that everyone treats the street as an obstacle course. They paved part of it this spring, but they didn't even try to patch the holes on the section of the street that gets the most usage.
I'm not convinced that traffic lights are the best solution. Given the way people drive in this city, it might make the intersection more dangerous. Drivers coming down Willow Street are going to speed up as soon as they see a yellow light. Instead of cruising through the intersection at 40mph, they'll be doing 60mph. Stop signs would be better. And cheaper. But, I suppose, traffic lights will cut down on the number of accidents and the overall frustration.
And while I'm on the topic, there are a few other intersections in Waterbury that need help. The intersection of Willow Street and Hillside Avenue is pretty tricky. The intersection of Wood and Walnut Streets is awful. If you're trying to make a left turn from Wood onto Walnut, you have to pull out far enough to get hit in order to see more than 10 feet down the road. And the intersection of Walnut Street and East Farm Street is a nightmare. If you're headed west on East Farm, it looks like you go straight onto Walnut, which means cutting across the eastbound traffic on East Farm, because they don't have a stop sign (even though it looks like they should).
I'd also like to see Waterville Street get repaved. The pot holes are so large and numerous that everyone treats the street as an obstacle course. They paved part of it this spring, but they didn't even try to patch the holes on the section of the street that gets the most usage.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Miracle Weight Loss Cure - Lose 5 Pounds Overnight!
Simply expose yourself to the stomach flu currently making the rounds. An hour spent late in the afternoon with your small niece will probably be sufficient. Wait 24-28 hours for the germs to become active in your system, then settle in for a long night with the toilet and a bucket. After 12 hours, you should see a significant drop in weight. Guaranteed! CAUTION: Miracle Weight Loss Cure can cause severe discomfort, pain, agony, loss of appetite and sleeplessness. Dehydration is a serious risk. Miracle Weight Loss Cure should not be undertaken by anyone who has a weakened immune system or is otherwise not in peak physical health.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Cookie-Cutter Politics
Thursday there was a big article in the paper about the young mayor of Torrington being pressured into removing his MySpace profile because it was deemed "inappropriate". Friday there was an article by a Torrington writer about MySpace. The writer, Bill Dunn, wrote "Mark my words, I predict that someone running for public office in the year 2036 will be forced to withdraw from the race when embarrassing comments and photos surface, comments and photos that were posted on MySpace.com during 2006."
What does this say about expectations for public officials? That they are required to fit into a tight, conservative mold? That they should never allow their private lives to be public knowledge? That they should be expected to present a public persona which is an outright lie? It's sort of like Bill Clinton saying he never inhaled--we all knew he did, and the very lame lie was far worse than the youthful exploit.
Or maybe it's like John Kerry and Al Gore modifying their public images on the advice of consultants, and then losing the elections anyway. A lot of people don't like politicians because they are viewed as being self-serving and dishonest. This certainly has been my opinion for a while. I'm beginning to understand that there are people who expect and desire that politicians lie about who they really are as human beings. This is not a healthy system, and it might very well be one of the causes of the widespread voter apathy we have in this country. Our politicians tend to all look the same, because they are all trying to fit into a mold instead of just being themselves. (Apologies for the gross generalization!)
What does this say about expectations for public officials? That they are required to fit into a tight, conservative mold? That they should never allow their private lives to be public knowledge? That they should be expected to present a public persona which is an outright lie? It's sort of like Bill Clinton saying he never inhaled--we all knew he did, and the very lame lie was far worse than the youthful exploit.
Or maybe it's like John Kerry and Al Gore modifying their public images on the advice of consultants, and then losing the elections anyway. A lot of people don't like politicians because they are viewed as being self-serving and dishonest. This certainly has been my opinion for a while. I'm beginning to understand that there are people who expect and desire that politicians lie about who they really are as human beings. This is not a healthy system, and it might very well be one of the causes of the widespread voter apathy we have in this country. Our politicians tend to all look the same, because they are all trying to fit into a mold instead of just being themselves. (Apologies for the gross generalization!)
Friday, May 12, 2006
MySpace
The local media, including the Republican American and especially WFSB (Channel 3), have been focussing a lot of attention on myspace.com lately. WFSB seems to be waging a campaign against it. Public opinion seems to be that it is the root of all evil, or close to it.
There is an internet generation gap. I'm not sure exactly what age the gap happens at, I suppose it varies depending on the person, but certainly most people over 40 seem to have a deeply rooted fear or distrust of the internet. I'm 34, and I remember when computers were introduced into the schools. There was a general sense of nervousness on the part of the adults. We were cautioned to be very, very careful, because if you did one wrong thing, you would destroy everything on the computer and possibly end existence. As far as I know, none of my classmates ever encountered any computer catastrophe worse than losing the paper they had been working on.
Most people younger than me probably can't remember a time before computers. Computers are as familiar and friendly to them as the television is to older generations. The leading complaint against MySpace seems to be the supposed preponderance of sexual predators stalking all those naive young girls. I'm pretty sure that sexual predators were around long before computers. If they weren't prowling the internet for victims, they'd be stalking them some other way. MySpace seems to do a good job of preventing crimes and/or catching perpetrators.
Personally, I really like websites like MySpace. I can't speak for everyone who uses them, but they're great for keeping in touch with friends who have moved away, or finding and reconnecting with friends you haven't seen in years. This is one of the real strengths of the internet: communication. Despite the fears of certain older people, the internet is not replacing face-to-face communication, it is supplementing it. My life is much richer and my friendships are much stronger because of sites like MySpace, Blogger, LiveJournal and just plain old email. (okay, I have to giggle here -- "plain old email" -- the newfangled becomes old hat so quickly!).
There is an internet generation gap. I'm not sure exactly what age the gap happens at, I suppose it varies depending on the person, but certainly most people over 40 seem to have a deeply rooted fear or distrust of the internet. I'm 34, and I remember when computers were introduced into the schools. There was a general sense of nervousness on the part of the adults. We were cautioned to be very, very careful, because if you did one wrong thing, you would destroy everything on the computer and possibly end existence. As far as I know, none of my classmates ever encountered any computer catastrophe worse than losing the paper they had been working on.
Most people younger than me probably can't remember a time before computers. Computers are as familiar and friendly to them as the television is to older generations. The leading complaint against MySpace seems to be the supposed preponderance of sexual predators stalking all those naive young girls. I'm pretty sure that sexual predators were around long before computers. If they weren't prowling the internet for victims, they'd be stalking them some other way. MySpace seems to do a good job of preventing crimes and/or catching perpetrators.
Personally, I really like websites like MySpace. I can't speak for everyone who uses them, but they're great for keeping in touch with friends who have moved away, or finding and reconnecting with friends you haven't seen in years. This is one of the real strengths of the internet: communication. Despite the fears of certain older people, the internet is not replacing face-to-face communication, it is supplementing it. My life is much richer and my friendships are much stronger because of sites like MySpace, Blogger, LiveJournal and just plain old email. (okay, I have to giggle here -- "plain old email" -- the newfangled becomes old hat so quickly!).
Truancy
There have been a couple of articles in the paper this week about students skipping school. The school system is now asking the police department to get involved. It sounds like skipping school will be treated as a crime. Kids can't be convinced to stay in school? send the cops after them!
When I was a kid, I think there was only one day when I flat out skipped school (that I remember... there might have been more.) I love learning and education (and I love being a teacher), but the public schools were misery. I hated going to school. It was drudgery. You were trapped in a room with a large number of other kids, and the teacher would drone on and on about the subject at hand, most of the time ignoring you, but every now and then you would suddenly be expected to provide an answer. I remember endless hours of watching the second hand spin slowly around the face of the clock on the wall. School was boring and sometimes emotionally painful. I used to fantasize about the school blowing up, imploding, or otherwise ceasing to exist so that we would all be free.
So. Based on my experience, I would guess that kids are skipping school because they think it is a waste of their time. Getting the police to force them to attend school is not going to help. I'm willing to bet it will make things worse. Now, instead of empty seats in the classroom, we'll have angry, sulking students in those seats. Fining the parents isn't going to help either. That's just going to create a more hostile home environment.
If the school system really wants to keep the kids in school, make school more interesting. Get better teachers. Find a way to reduce the classroom size to twelve students per teacher. I know it's expensive, I know everyone is moaning about high taxes (myself included), but this is important. If the public schools had a class size of no more than 12 students, the kids would be getting a better education.
If a teenager really doesn't want to be in school no matter what, then check up on their home life and make sure there aren't any serious problems. If the home life checks out okay, then let the kid drop out of school. They can always go back later if they decide they want to. It might be harder later, but they'll get more out of it. As a teacher, the last thing I want in my classroom is a student who doesn't want to be there. At best, that student is going to sleep through class or sit quietly and doodle. At worst, that student is going to disrupt the classroom and interfere with everyone else's education.
When I was a kid, I think there was only one day when I flat out skipped school (that I remember... there might have been more.) I love learning and education (and I love being a teacher), but the public schools were misery. I hated going to school. It was drudgery. You were trapped in a room with a large number of other kids, and the teacher would drone on and on about the subject at hand, most of the time ignoring you, but every now and then you would suddenly be expected to provide an answer. I remember endless hours of watching the second hand spin slowly around the face of the clock on the wall. School was boring and sometimes emotionally painful. I used to fantasize about the school blowing up, imploding, or otherwise ceasing to exist so that we would all be free.
So. Based on my experience, I would guess that kids are skipping school because they think it is a waste of their time. Getting the police to force them to attend school is not going to help. I'm willing to bet it will make things worse. Now, instead of empty seats in the classroom, we'll have angry, sulking students in those seats. Fining the parents isn't going to help either. That's just going to create a more hostile home environment.
If the school system really wants to keep the kids in school, make school more interesting. Get better teachers. Find a way to reduce the classroom size to twelve students per teacher. I know it's expensive, I know everyone is moaning about high taxes (myself included), but this is important. If the public schools had a class size of no more than 12 students, the kids would be getting a better education.
If a teenager really doesn't want to be in school no matter what, then check up on their home life and make sure there aren't any serious problems. If the home life checks out okay, then let the kid drop out of school. They can always go back later if they decide they want to. It might be harder later, but they'll get more out of it. As a teacher, the last thing I want in my classroom is a student who doesn't want to be there. At best, that student is going to sleep through class or sit quietly and doodle. At worst, that student is going to disrupt the classroom and interfere with everyone else's education.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Sex Arrests Update
Police Superintendent Neil O'Leary expects that police will, by the end of this week, finally complete arrest warrants for ten men caught having sex in massage parlors (today's issue of the Rep-Am). They were busted April 27. It takes two weeks to write up an arrest warrant?
The thing that bothers me most about all of this is my personal experience with disgusting old men who harrass me when I walk down the street. There is nothing more creepy than having some skanky perv pull his car up alongside me and gesture at his groin in an effort to solicit me. I think it definitely qualifies as sexual harrassment, but I have the feeling that the police don't care. If I complain, would they be more likely to arrest me than the perv? I am not now, nor have I ever been, a prostitute. And yet I still feel like the cops would side with the perv. Or, at best, they'd say something to me like "that's what you get for walking down the street." A lot of cops working in this neighborhood definitely have an attitude that nothing can be expected to improve, so why bother. I can understand that they might be burnt out, but they still should be polite and at least pretend to not expect the worst from someone.
The thing that bothers me most about all of this is my personal experience with disgusting old men who harrass me when I walk down the street. There is nothing more creepy than having some skanky perv pull his car up alongside me and gesture at his groin in an effort to solicit me. I think it definitely qualifies as sexual harrassment, but I have the feeling that the police don't care. If I complain, would they be more likely to arrest me than the perv? I am not now, nor have I ever been, a prostitute. And yet I still feel like the cops would side with the perv. Or, at best, they'd say something to me like "that's what you get for walking down the street." A lot of cops working in this neighborhood definitely have an attitude that nothing can be expected to improve, so why bother. I can understand that they might be burnt out, but they still should be polite and at least pretend to not expect the worst from someone.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Stinky Trees
According to the Republican American, the trees lining Grand Street are being replaced with ginkgo trees. The old trees were faulted for getting "too big". Maybe they've selected a variant of ginkgo I'm not familiar with. I've lived in two places that had a ginkgo tree. Both trees were enormous. Both trees had the smelliest fruit I've ever encountered. Once a year, for about a month, they smell AWFUL. Like something dead and rotting. The paper says the new trees have already been delivered, so I guess it's too late to do anything. And, like I said, maybe it's a type of ginkgo that doesn't stink and doesn't grow large.
Focusing on the Sex
Today's headline news, complete with a photo of a lithe young woman in a bikini and handcuffs, was the raid of 10 massage parlors and the arrest of 29 women who work in them. The vice squad has been working on this bust for a month (according to the Republican-American), and there has not yet been a decision on whether or not to prosecute any of the men caught having sex with their masseuses. The women are all Asian and speak little English, suggesting that they are recent immigrants. The paper reported that the women slept in the same rooms in which they worked. To me, this certainly suggests that they have extremely little control over their lives. I would have liked the reporter, Ben Conery, to have focused more on this issue. The article contains far more information about the details of paying to have a masseuse double as a prostitute. The large photo of the woman in a bikini borders on the titillating, and is extremely offensive and inconsiderate if it should turn out that the woman in question is an immigrant forced to work as a prostitute.
The men who were found in the massage parlors are "cooperating" with the police and might not be charged with any illegal activity. The Waterbury police department has a track record of not charging men who solicit prostitutes. This is a horrible double standard. If exchanging money for sex is so terrible an act that it must be illegal, surely the men are just as guilty as the women. Indeed, aren't the men more guilty? If they did not go looking for the prostitutes, then the prostitution would never occur.
Worse still, if any of these women were forced into prostitution and were, in my opinion, being held in a form of slavery, then the men who frequented the massage parlors are among the lowest of the low and deserve jail time.
Given the possibilities of this case, the newspaper should have been much more balanced in its coverage.
The men who were found in the massage parlors are "cooperating" with the police and might not be charged with any illegal activity. The Waterbury police department has a track record of not charging men who solicit prostitutes. This is a horrible double standard. If exchanging money for sex is so terrible an act that it must be illegal, surely the men are just as guilty as the women. Indeed, aren't the men more guilty? If they did not go looking for the prostitutes, then the prostitution would never occur.
Worse still, if any of these women were forced into prostitution and were, in my opinion, being held in a form of slavery, then the men who frequented the massage parlors are among the lowest of the low and deserve jail time.
Given the possibilities of this case, the newspaper should have been much more balanced in its coverage.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Property Sales
On Monday there was an article in the Republican-American about properties being sold at auction by Waterbury's Office of Revenue Collection. The focus of the article was the difficulty the city has selling these properties. Some of the reasons for the difficulty include the high price of the back taxes and interest due on the properties. This is certainly a valid problem for many properties. There's not much incentive to buy a property worth $25,000 when you have to pay $75,000 in back taxes on it.
Personally, I think the main problem might be lack of information. The article in the paper mentions the difficulty that the city has in "getting the word out" about the properties for sale. Nowhere in the article is there a listing of the properties for sale this week. D'oh! A great big article about how there is a property auction this Thursday, and a complaint about how no one knows which properties are for sale, but no list of the properties. I decided to follow up by visiting the city's website to see if the properties were listed there. For a brief moment, I became optimistic -- there is a link on the Tax Collector's page to a listing for a Tax Lien Sale. The link takes you to the listing for a property sale held June 23, 2005. Good grief! Is the city so short on funds that they can't pay someone to spend five minutes uploading a document? We already have a corruption hotline; maybe it's time for an incompetence hotline....
Personally, I think the main problem might be lack of information. The article in the paper mentions the difficulty that the city has in "getting the word out" about the properties for sale. Nowhere in the article is there a listing of the properties for sale this week. D'oh! A great big article about how there is a property auction this Thursday, and a complaint about how no one knows which properties are for sale, but no list of the properties. I decided to follow up by visiting the city's website to see if the properties were listed there. For a brief moment, I became optimistic -- there is a link on the Tax Collector's page to a listing for a Tax Lien Sale. The link takes you to the listing for a property sale held June 23, 2005. Good grief! Is the city so short on funds that they can't pay someone to spend five minutes uploading a document? We already have a corruption hotline; maybe it's time for an incompetence hotline....
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Steakhouse Shelter
Here's a thought that's been bouncing around in the back of my head for a while now: back in January, a restaurant chain called Texas Roadhouse announced plans to build a new restaurant on Benedict Street, behind the Home Depot. St. Vincent DePaul operates a homeless shelter on Benedict Street, behind the Home Depot. The new restaurant will presumable have its back to Benedict Street, since facing towards Bank Street is more likely to pull in shoppers from the Home Depot plaza. I wonder what it will be like for the people staying in the homeless shelter to smell, every day, broiled steaks they can't afford. It seems kind of cruel. Then again, maybe Texas Roadhouse has a good sense of community and will help support the shelter. Either way, it is a strange contrast to have a restaurant serving steak next door to a shelter.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Smart Growth
The Waterbury Neighborhood Council has submitted a proposal to the city asking for a six-month hold on developments (Rep-Am, 3/30/06). Given the realities of development, a six-month hold is extremely unlikely to happen. However, I think they make a very good point about what's happening with development in Waterbury. There are new development happening all over the city. In some cases, thriving businesses have been forced to relocate or close in order to make way for bigger fish. In other cases, small parklets and wooded areas have been demolished. There does not seem to be a master plan for development that would enhance the quality of life for city residents. Mayor Jarjura was once quoted as saying that Waterbury has enough open space with existing parks and cemeteries. Anything not currently protected as open space is in danger of being turned into concrete. The city has huge budget problems to resolve, and the new developments are a possible way to increase revenue, although they can also generate more expense for the city.
The outlying areas of Waterbury, left as almost untamed wilderness for decades, are changing rapidly. Change, when it happens so quickly, can be unsettling. Given Waterbury's recent history of corruption, residents are certainly justified in being concerned about what is happening now. I think there is an underlying sense that the quality of life and other concerns of neighborhoods is being ignored by developers, aided by city officials, who are concerned only with benefitting themselves. It's not just happening in Waterbury. Parts of Middlebury are no longer recognizable. Middlebury, once rural, is decidedly suburban now, and the developers aren't done with it yet.
When I drive around the region and see all the developments underway, I keep wondering what the driving force is behind them. Who are the people moving into the new McMansions? What is bringing them here? Why are so many office buildings being constructed? What impact will the new developments have on the city as a whole -- in ten years' time, will Waterbury still be a country city, or will it be a new metropolis?
The outlying areas of Waterbury, left as almost untamed wilderness for decades, are changing rapidly. Change, when it happens so quickly, can be unsettling. Given Waterbury's recent history of corruption, residents are certainly justified in being concerned about what is happening now. I think there is an underlying sense that the quality of life and other concerns of neighborhoods is being ignored by developers, aided by city officials, who are concerned only with benefitting themselves. It's not just happening in Waterbury. Parts of Middlebury are no longer recognizable. Middlebury, once rural, is decidedly suburban now, and the developers aren't done with it yet.
When I drive around the region and see all the developments underway, I keep wondering what the driving force is behind them. Who are the people moving into the new McMansions? What is bringing them here? Why are so many office buildings being constructed? What impact will the new developments have on the city as a whole -- in ten years' time, will Waterbury still be a country city, or will it be a new metropolis?
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Campaign Promises
Mayor Jarjura has kept one of his campaign promises. Shortly before the election last November, he said that the city's mill rate, currently 53.9668, would need to go up a point or two. No one seemed to care, even though everyone complains about the high taxes. Last week, Jarjura announced his proposed budget for next year, with a mill rate of 55.9496. Spending is to increase 4.3 percent from $333,599,242 to $347,936,614. Here's hoping the money gets spent wisely.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Taxing the Non-Profits
Twelve non-profit organizations in Waterbury neglected to fill out paperwork with the city. Apparently this needs to be done every four years in order to maintain their tax-exempt status with the city. It seems very strange that so many of them didn't do it. The city sent out two letters reminding them about it, but did not follow up with phone calls. Considering the importance of the paperwork and the fact that mail does sometimes get lost, I think the city really should have followed up with phone calls to the twelve organizations that didn't file.
The city is citing state law prohibiting them from waiving the taxes that will be owed. Mayor Jarjura says he hopes the state legislature agrees to return the non-profit groups to their tax exempt status. This is the same man who refused to allow the city tax collector to collect tax from his personal friend Lestorti. It's okay to make a special exemption for your friends, but not for non-profit groups who would normally not pay taxes?
Sheila O'Malley, Jarjura's Chief of Staff, was quoted in today's paper as saying that "the punishment does not fit the crime." I'm sure she was just using a cliche carelessly, but still. Crime? Neglecting to file paperwork is a crime? Talk about blowing things out of proportion! (to use another cliche)
So now the state legislature will decide the issue. It would be nice if something positive came out of this, considering the amount of time being spent on it. Non-profit groups do a lot of good things for their communities on shoe-string budgets. Having to face the nightmare of going under because they didn't file a form seems very unjust.
The city is citing state law prohibiting them from waiving the taxes that will be owed. Mayor Jarjura says he hopes the state legislature agrees to return the non-profit groups to their tax exempt status. This is the same man who refused to allow the city tax collector to collect tax from his personal friend Lestorti. It's okay to make a special exemption for your friends, but not for non-profit groups who would normally not pay taxes?
Sheila O'Malley, Jarjura's Chief of Staff, was quoted in today's paper as saying that "the punishment does not fit the crime." I'm sure she was just using a cliche carelessly, but still. Crime? Neglecting to file paperwork is a crime? Talk about blowing things out of proportion! (to use another cliche)
So now the state legislature will decide the issue. It would be nice if something positive came out of this, considering the amount of time being spent on it. Non-profit groups do a lot of good things for their communities on shoe-string budgets. Having to face the nightmare of going under because they didn't file a form seems very unjust.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Wifi Hotspots Rant
I don't normally go to Starbucks, for a variety of reasons (too expensive, too weird, etc.). I wound up at a Starbucks today for an informal business meeting. I had assumed that I would be able to go online with my laptop, because Starbucks makes a big fuss about being a wifi hotspot. It turns out that you have to set up an account with T-Mobile (or another similar company) to be able to use the wifi at Starbucks.
At the places I consider to be "real" coffee shops (locally owned, not massive corporations), the wifi is free for customers. All you have to do is ask for that day's password. And you don't have to order a tall mochafrappacchino when all you really want is a small coffee.
Brass City Buzz and the John Bale Bookstore have great coffee, great food, a great atmosphere and you can use the wifi without registering with yet another faceless corporation. Maybe some of the customers at Starbucks will figure out that there's a better choice.
At the places I consider to be "real" coffee shops (locally owned, not massive corporations), the wifi is free for customers. All you have to do is ask for that day's password. And you don't have to order a tall mochafrappacchino when all you really want is a small coffee.
Brass City Buzz and the John Bale Bookstore have great coffee, great food, a great atmosphere and you can use the wifi without registering with yet another faceless corporation. Maybe some of the customers at Starbucks will figure out that there's a better choice.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Memories of Summer
A few photos I took last summer. Remember when it used to be warm and green outside?
Fulton Park, July 2005
Fulton Park, July 2005
The Waterbury Green, July 2005
View from Hayden Park, October 2005. Technically not summer, but still green and so much warmer than it is now.
Fulton Park, July 2005
Fulton Park, July 2005
The Waterbury Green, July 2005
View from Hayden Park, October 2005. Technically not summer, but still green and so much warmer than it is now.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Little Things
It seems like a lot of Waterbury's problems are caused by bureaucrats from outside the city who have no connection to Waterbury and no reason to care about the harm they cause. The buses don't run past 6 in the evening, and anytime Waterbury residents ask for better bus service, we're told by CT Transit that no one in Waterbury would ride the buses after 6pm.
Now the post office is being slowly shifted to Wallingford. I used to get my paychecks in the mail every other Saturday. Now I get them on every other Monday. My paychecks are put in the mail at a location which is only a ten-minute walk, at most, from my house. But before they can be delivered to me, they have to go to Wallingford, which is a thirty-minute drive. It makes no sense. But I guess that's how bureaucracy works.
Now the post office is being slowly shifted to Wallingford. I used to get my paychecks in the mail every other Saturday. Now I get them on every other Monday. My paychecks are put in the mail at a location which is only a ten-minute walk, at most, from my house. But before they can be delivered to me, they have to go to Wallingford, which is a thirty-minute drive. It makes no sense. But I guess that's how bureaucracy works.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Big, Bad Nor'easter
It's amazing how quiet the city gets in a snow storm. I know I've mentioned it before, but it still impresses me. I'm working up the courage to try shovelling, but the wind looks pretty intense. The roads are so bad that one of the city plows got stuck trying to go up Willow Street. I had a good laugh watching him spin his back tires. He had to coast backwards down the hill until he got to a spot with better traction. While he was struggling, two passenger cars cruised past him. I'm guessing the city won't be dug out until sometime on Tuesday.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
La Traviata
La Traviata was performed at the Palace Theater last weekend. I love opera, and the Palace is a beautiful setting for it. But ticket sales were so poor that the Palace had to offer a two-for-one special. I have to admit that I didn't go see the show, but I was in California.... I was very disappointed that I was going to miss this year's Palace opera. I was even more disappointed to learn how uninterested in opera people are around here. Is it because it's not in English? Broadway musicals do great business, so why not opera?
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