Hartford Has It, They Just Don’t Want You To Experience It

Every year on Columbus Day weekend, Hartford hosts a marathon.  Can you guess how I know this?  They probably advertise, right?  Maybe there’s some word of mouth buzz?  How about social media?  Sadly, the answer is no to all of those.  The way people in the Greater Hartford Area learn about the Hartford Marathon is…

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Responsive Government

My partner’s excellent piece on Hartford’s Downtown North fiasco got me thinking. I want to say from the outset, that I agree with Jamil’s take. The stadium was a bad idea and poorly executed. But, I’m an optimistic sort. I try (unfortunately I often fail, but I try) to find something positive in any situation….

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There Was Always a Better Plan: The DoNo That Might Have Been

I am not a journalist. I am a writer who loves my city, my neighborhood and the people who inhabit them. Every time I walk past Dunkin’ Donuts Park and glance through the shuttered doors at the manicured, empty field, I feel sadness and anger. The people I love and the neighborhoods we all live in…

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Smart Protests and Silly Protests

Yesterday Hartford, CT decided to get in on the Moral Monday phenomena.  A group of protesters blocked the Hartford side of the Founder’s Bridge just before rush hour.  Their stated goal was to spread the “black lives matter” message.  This wasn’t a smart way to spread that message. Like anything else, protests can be done…

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Government In Action (Seriously)

A while back, I wrote a post about an incident involving former Major League Baseball player and current ESPN analyst Doug Glanville and the West Hartford Police Department.  It was kind of the perfect storm to set me off.  I liked Glanville as a player and like him as an analyst.  I find West Hartford to…

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A Story About The Holmes Brothers

Update: Wendell Holmes died today from complications due to pulmonary hypertension. This isn’t surprising since he posted this open letter a few days ago. In honor of his life, I thought I’d re-post the piece I wrote in January when we lost Popsy. Willie “Popsy” Dixon died on Friday of bladder cancer.  For those who…

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Monday Night Jazz

I went to see Renee Rosnes in Hartford’s Bushnell Park tonight and had two competing things on my mind.  One was how great it was, not just the band, but the whole experience.  The band was fantastic:  Renee Rosnes on piano, John Patitucci on bass, Carl Allen on drums, and Steve Nelson on vibes.  It doesn’t…

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Institutional Bias and Power

A short time ago, Doug Glanville published a piece about being profiled in his own driveway in Hartford. I read it, was annoyed on his behalf, and went on with my life. A short time later, the police chief of West Hartford published an Op Ed piece claiming that Doug Glanville was not profiled and…

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