tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-301746052009-03-29T09:22:43.449-07:00New Britain, Connecticutkobdcblogs@gmail.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-33611494620692973952009-03-29T08:21:00.000-07:002009-03-29T09:22:27.065-07:00

Connecticut has the highest residential electric rates in the lower 48 states at 19.4 cents a KWh.Click here for source; it's federal energy data. It was released last week.Deregulation has just been wonderful for Connecticut.How is Connecticut to pull out the recession by having the nation's highest electric rates (Hawaii is tops but it's a lot warmer there) in the U.S.?I don't know who is

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-25734720103510256792008-11-11T17:26:00.000-08:002008-11-11T21:20:48.792-08:00

The Journal Register Co. is closing The Herald and Bristol Press. I thought about writing a Greek Tragedy about it, about The Herald’s long history and the many wonderful people I worked with, but what’s the point?The JRC got rid of Herald’s presses, the building, most of the staff. What’s left?It's more important to look at what's next instead of what's left.If I had the money, I wouldn’t buy

kobdcblogs@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-9443760431337116082008-06-21T07:14:00.000-07:002008-06-22T19:58:06.345-07:00

The Herald's parent company, the Journal Register Co. is selling The Herald building to the Arete Development Co., a company that apparently has a downtown redevelopment agreement with the city, according to The Herald in this June 12 report. (I'm not certain if the agreement is final or just pending.)The Herald reported on June 4 its plan to sell its building to Arete. Its report included this

kobdcblogs@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-68924044193225405002008-04-05T06:40:00.001-07:002008-04-06T10:00:15.872-07:00

On the Journal Register Co. corporate Web site, there are slides from a presentation that the company made two years ago a financial meeting. One slide, on page 29, is titled "Proven Ability to Delever." The typo says it all about the attention the JRC gives to its editorial products.The JRC’s stock price has fallen below the cost of a single copy of a newspaper and it now faces delisting from

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-72246961799282366572008-03-24T19:50:00.000-07:002008-03-26T16:45:07.970-07:00

A friend forwarded a link from the Hartford Business Journal about the Journal Register Co., which owns The Herald. It begins:Dailies In DangerJRC, parent company of New Haven Register, Connecticut Magazine, in financial crisisBy Sean O’LearyHartford Business Journal Staff WriterTodayThe finances of the Pennsylvania parent company of 75 Connecticut publications, including the New Haven Register

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-28665513874120316822007-11-22T20:24:00.000-08:002007-12-02T14:48:10.038-08:00

Downtown New Britain is no longer a "downtown," if that word means anything. But if it's no longer the city's commercial or business center, then what is it? A little political historyFormer Mayor Bill McNamara was a big booster of downtown so much so that it eventually became a political liability for him. When Don DeFronzo was running in 1989 for mayor he argued that city neighborhoods had been

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-70920696684274931562007-11-06T17:40:00.000-08:002007-11-06T18:14:25.240-08:00

There is a report in The Herald about CCSU students painting a mural of Elihu Burritt. I was surprised. Burritt is such an obscure figure today, and the students deserve credit for reminding others of his importance.If there was ever a person born ahead of his time, it was Burritt.Burritt was born in 1810 and taught himself some 30 languages. He was a genius who believed very strongly in the

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-2362859658131191022007-09-29T12:25:00.000-07:002007-10-03T05:06:28.254-07:00

Type in "student newspaper, outrage," into the Google news search engine and up pops the Rocky Mountain Collegian, for colorful advice it recently offered the president. USA Today reports:The paper acknowledges that the editorial was "immature, unnecessary and offensive," but says this piece "accomplished more than any other staff editorial we've written this yearThe Collegian, reports the

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-49887570797452640292007-07-08T10:37:00.000-07:002007-07-10T06:13:39.303-07:00

The news: The Herald's printing operations are being closed and moved by its parent, the Journal Register Co., to New Haven. The JRC owns the New Haven Register. The JRC, in its press release announcing this change, said The Herald will gain from improved printing facilities in New Haven. The company said it expects to save about $500,000. [Wikipedia background on the JRC and JRC financials on

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-58709803710930017552007-07-04T08:17:00.000-07:002007-07-04T16:10:24.944-07:00

[I sent this note to the Courant reader representative after it published a story today confirming New Britain High School's probation status. This note speaks for itself -- but I hope the broader message resonates. Blogging can make a difference. On Independence Day what better demonstration of our great rights is there then the right of free speech? Not enough New Britain residents are using

kobdcblogs@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-72113919436751857372007-07-03T09:23:00.000-07:002007-07-03T09:33:11.789-07:00

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) report that details New Britain High School's problems is online at the school's Web site.Elisa, the co-author of this blog, has reported that the school was recently put on probation by NEASC. This is not been reported in the local media. Prior to that decision, the NEASC prepared a report assessing the school's educational program.What

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-28250543580868667632007-07-02T11:57:00.000-07:002007-07-02T12:22:12.582-07:00

It’s now official that New Britain High School’s accreditation is on probation, and it will remain that way until one of two things happens – the school remedies its "shortcomings" and the probation is lifted; or the school fails to make "reasonable progress" and the school loses its accreditation.While many of the school’s shortcomings have to do with financing, some don’t, according to Charles

Elisa Hutcoe Krochmalnyckyjnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-70644480721895541192007-06-20T12:57:00.000-07:002007-06-20T19:01:40.306-07:00

It is unbelievable that city officials are hushing up the fact that New Britain High School’s accreditation is in jeopardy – and apparently, the newspapers and other media are letting them.In case anyone’s unsure, losing accreditation is a huge, huge deal, and a huge, huge black eye to the city. Yet officials are ignoring the fact that New Britain High School may lose its accreditation – which

Elisa Hutcoe Krochmalnyckyjnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-73703694986789043512007-06-18T11:20:00.000-07:002007-06-18T11:21:41.398-07:00

New Britain High School’s accreditation is in jeopardy, a result of a fall visit from the agency that accredits Connecticut’s schools."We were told the school is on probation," said Board of Education member James Sanders. "That’s a big deal. If you’re not accredited, you can’t go to college."Only about 3-1/2 percent of schools are put on probation by the New England Association of Schools and

Elisa Hutcoe Krochmalnyckyjnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-80889331561812519962007-06-16T08:10:00.000-07:002007-06-20T21:44:52.714-07:00

The Herald’s economic development coverage is mostly press release rewriting. There’s no critical analysis. I realize its reporters have tough workloads, but if a newspaper wants to avoid becoming irrelevant it has to ask the hard questions. Why be critical of The Herald and its coverage of Carvel -- a company that plans to build 120,000 square foot plant at Booth and Myrtle Streets that will

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-68842361067406079712007-04-21T16:50:00.000-07:002007-06-20T21:46:34.671-07:00

New Britain is a city of small landlords and many of the owners of three-family units, in particular, do not live in these buildings. The city is considering a certificate of apartment occupancy requirement aimed at absentee landlords. The Herald has a report. It would require inspection and certification that meets housing code or face fines. But I have to question the fairness of what the

kobdcblogs@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-86809812235270706112007-03-31T07:16:00.000-07:002007-03-31T18:52:02.348-07:00

I like places that age well and develop character along the way and that's why I went to the Meadowland Restaurant. It was a short walk from my Miller Street home and its restaurant a quick and good alternative. Having a meal and a drink in a place that has been operating since 1934 is a treat. The Herald is reporting that Meadowland is closing its restaurant but evidently will continue as a bar

kobdcblogs@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-81582503700666909192007-03-27T12:23:00.000-07:002007-03-27T12:25:16.707-07:00

Topping my list of "diamonds" in New Britain right now is the New Britain Rock Cats.Earlier this month, the Rock Cats www.RockCats.com held their annual "FanFest," when the Cats threw open the New Britain Stadium gates to some 3,000 baseball-hungry fans who got a feel for the stadium, plenty of free fan-food like hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream and soda, some Rock Cats posters, Rocky tattoos, and

Elisa Hutcoe Krochmalnyckyjnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-82488494183584233632007-03-24T07:20:00.000-07:002007-03-24T10:55:58.197-07:00

It was encouraging to see that so many parents and others turned out at a meeting about the mold concerns at DiLoreto School . And while there is some consolation in the reports that the air tested well within state and federal standards, parents and others need to continue to be vigilant and ask more questions.Have school board members, PTO members, parents and the media consulted an allergist

Elisa Hutcoe Krochmalnyckyjnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-60517222988840168042007-03-03T09:26:00.000-08:002007-03-04T06:32:36.042-08:00

There are no unimportant issues in New Britain City Hall and this is something I learned more as a resident of the city than as a reporter at The Herald. I'll use my experience with street signs to make this point. Mayor William McNamara use to joke about how New Britain officials never met an intersection that didn't need a stop sign. (He was far wittier about it.) But that brings me to this

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-11201310039710921292007-02-20T06:34:00.000-08:002007-03-03T11:36:44.268-08:00

When I was invited to join this blog, I eagerly searched the local papers’ websites to catch up on the inner workings of New Britain, to see who’s doing what, my head already spinning with that same adrenaline that got me through many deadlines in the days I was covering New Britain for The Herald. I’ve missed being a part of New Britain.Every day, I’ve been on the local sites, trying to catch up

Elisa Hutcoe Krochmalnyckyjnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-1169304299109868342007-01-20T06:34:00.000-08:002007-01-20T07:09:47.250-08:00

Louis Uchitelle is a New York Times reporter and he has written an excellent book about the consequences of layoffs, The Disposable American, that begins by profiling The Stanley Works. The decline of the Stanley Works in New Britain is the focus of the book's first chapter. A major part of the first chapter is available on the Washington Post web site. You may have to register to read it. When I

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-1168880632041096992007-01-15T08:39:00.000-08:002007-01-15T09:39:25.023-08:00

Thanks to NB Politicus, the work of John McNamara, for the shout-out and kind words, but especially for his thoughts about this topic: the importance of community journalism. I was in New Britain over the holiday visiting two of my favorite people, Dan and Arlene who run Leaves & Pages. And as usual, people stopped in to have coffee and chat. I really love that place. The atmosphere is always

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-1164149393550562422006-11-21T13:59:00.000-08:002006-11-21T19:03:12.816-08:00

Photo: The furs sign on West Main Street is a longtime favorite. It's so retro. It also reminds me of something ...It was the day after Thanksgiving, a workday for Herald reporters, and there was only one story to cover: the unofficial first day of holiday shopping. Reporters fanned out to their respective towns and ask shoppers about their purchases, this year’s hot items and shopping

kobdcblogs@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30174605.post-1154721571433594942006-08-06T12:54:00.000-07:002006-08-07T09:43:01.126-07:00

The Herald did a really good job with its redesign to a tabloid. It's clean, attractive and well thought out. Now it needs to improve its coverage. Take the recent school bus accident on Broad Street, Bus plows into Broad Street storefront. The story was big enough to get coverage by local TV stations. A news report I saw on either channel 30 or 3 included an interview with the owner of the store

kobdcblogs@gmail.com0