Hamden Central Fire Station Returns Fully Renovated

Fire units return to old home in Hamden (video) Published: Thursday, June 21, 2012 By Ann DeMatteo, Register Staff adematteo@nhregister.com / Twitter: @annddematteo HAMDEN — After 32 months away from the center of town, Squad 1 and Rescue 1 are back in the fire station at Memorial Town Hall. “The goal was to get them back in here as soon as I could,” Fire Chief David A. Berardesca said this week. Firefighters and apparatus that worked out of what is known as Station 4 were transferred to other firehouses in fall 2009, when the Memorial Town Hall renovation began. Town Hall renovations are incomplete; the police station has moved to some Town Hall space, as well as a 40,000-square-foot addition. This summer, Berardesca, Deputy Fire Chief Bob Surprise and their administrative staff will move from Hamden Government Center to space in Town Hall. Berardesca and firefighters say they are happy with the upgrade, which includes a new exhaust system and heaters in the garage bay. The kitchen had been in the formerly dingy basement and now is on the second floor, in an all-purpose room where firefighters can relax in large lounge chairs and watch a large-screen television on off hours. There are also four new bunks, new lockers, a room for the watch commander and new bathrooms and showers. The exercise room is in the basement. The whole station has been painted. “It’s a welcome relief. It’s nice to be back home,” said Firefighter Paul Turner after he backed Squad 1, a fire pumper, into the bay Monday morning. Now that the truck has returned to Station 4 from the Ridge Road fire station, and Rescue 1 has come back from Mount Carmel, response times will improve, Berardesca said. When Station 4 closed, other stations had to expand their territories, meaning firefighters sometimes took a bit longer to arrive at calls. While contractors continue to work on “punch list” items for the fire station, the Town Building Committee is working to be sure the cracked mahogany doors on the garage bay are replaced. The cracking was noticed soon after the doors were installed late last year. “While it was probably not the best choice of materials for a fire station, they were installed and it was realized the wood was faulty,” said Curt Leng, chief administrative officer. The doors are going to be replaced soon with a more traditional metal fire station door that will have a mahogany look. The company that provided the doors will pay for the new ones, Leng said. Other mahogany doors throughout the refurbished Town Hall have faulty wood and discussions are under way to replace them with other wood doors or with mahogany-looking doors, Leng said. It is expected Town Hall will reopen at the end of the year, after the two old police station buildings are remediated, razed and a parking garage built, Leng said.

Heat Wave, A Tropical Heat Wave - Take it Serious!

Municipalities throughout the area have opened cooling centers. Due to the extreme heat forecast, Mayor Scott Jackson has established Town "Cooling Stations" and also wishes to remind residents that all public buildings, including libraries and fire stations, are air-conditioned and open to the public during regular business hours. The cooling station is meant for temporary respite from the heat, especially for the elderly and those with respiratory issues. Hamden cooling stations and hours are: The Keefe Community Cente,r located at the corner of Dixwell Ave. and Pine Street, until 7 p.m. this evening. Thornton Wilder Hall, located in the Miller Library Complex at 2901 Dixwell Avenue, is a cooling station and will have water available to those in need. Thornton Wilder Hall be open to the public until 11 p.m. Hamden fire stations are also available. Information on all Town buildings and hours can be found on the Town website at www.hamden.com or by calling 203-287-7100. For further information, please contact the Fire Chief Berardesca's office at 203-407-5880.

Bassett Field Larry's Playground Renovations Underway

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Monday

Monday, Monday .... So good to me ....

Whoever wrote that clearly doesn't know what the word Monday means.



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Working to Solve Hamden Pension Crisis

By Ann DeMatteo, Register Staff adematteo@nhregister.com / Twitter: @annddematteo HAMDEN — The Legislative Council took initial steps Wednesday night toward finding a solution for the drastically underfunded pension fund, but answers won’t come for another six months. A council committee unanimously agreed to a bid waiver to hire The Segal Co. as a pension plan design consultant for $90,000. The full council will take action Monday. Council members wanting to be sure the information would be available before the 2013-14 budget is final asked how long it would take to get the information. Curt Leng, Mayor Scott D. Jackson’s chief aide, said it would take about six months. In response to another question, Leng said he believes “information will flow” about what the consultant is learning as time goes on. Already, he said, the mayor has had discussions with unions and is looking at working collaboratively with council members. “Without the unions being partners, a comprehensive solution can’t be reached,” Leng said. Leng said the mayor was seeking a bid waiver because Segal, based in Atlanta, already is working for the town on health insurance and pension matters. “They’re very good at this and we want experts with good qualifications to develop a comprehensive solution,” he said.

Fixing Hamden Pension Fund #1 Priority

By Ann DeMatteo, Register Staff adematteo@nhregister.com / Twitter: @annddematteo HAMDEN — A new report on the town’s failing pension fund says that the fund will be broke in four years if nothing is done to improve the situation. The financial nightmare can only be avoided if comprehensive solutions are found, Mayor Scott D. Jackson said in a May 1 memorandum to the Legislative Council. Tonight , the council will meet with financial advisers about the pension, pension obligation bonds and current investment returns. The council will vote on the budget Wednesday night. Jackson gave the council the pension cash flow analysis that reviews the scenario with and without pension obligation bonds. The document was created by the Hamden Retirement Board’s new financial adviser, David Lee of Dahab Associates. Solving the pension crisis in a “comprehensive and well-planned manner” is the town’s top priority in the coming fiscal year, according to the mayor. According to the report, the fund now has $62.5 million and pays out about $20 million a year. According to Jackson and the report, the fund will be in deficit by 2016 if only regular contributions from the town and employees are used. The budget would also have to include enough money for a “pay-as-you-go” pension program and the town’s contribution of $20 million. Even with a $90 million infusion of pension obligation bonds, the fund will be in deficit by 2023, without a comprehensive solution, according to Jackson. Under the $90 million pension obligation bond scenario, with no comprehensive solution, the town would have to contribute between $13 and $18 million from the operating budget from now to 2022, on top of a $7.5 million debt service per year for 20 years for the bonds. Curt Leng, Jackson’s chief aide, said a comprehensive program would have to include changes in union contracts, as well as possibly changing the age and years of service someone would need in order to collect. “The town would also have to put in a significant amount of capital outlay and get all of the parties to do their part,” he said. The Legislative Council has been meeting on the mayor’s proposed $192 million budget, and a full discussion on how to handle the pension has yet to be held. As it stands now, the council has added about $1 million to the mayor’s budget, or .29 mills higher than the tax rate of the 36.85 mills proposed by Jackson for 2012-13. Council members want the budget to be lower, but have been having a difficult time making cuts. Last week, on the motion of Republicans Betty Wetmore and Austin Cesare, the council eliminated a part-time position for a traffic director. Jackson proposed the $35,000 position to assist with implementing the town’s traffic calming efforts. Instead, the money would go toward consultants and traffic calming tools. The council voted to cut $200,000 from the Fire Department sub-straight time and $70,000 from police overtime. Councilman Harry Gagliardi, D-2, asked Leng to provide the council with a list of all discretionary funds in an attempt to figure out what else can be cut because he doesn’t want to raise taxes. A motion he made to eliminate two of the three police deputy chiefs and to add two patrol officers instead was rejected. Leng reported to the council that a retirement incentive plan for town employees is still in the works. It doesn’t appear as if council members are willing to touch the $80.3 million the mayor has recommended for the Board of Education. Cesare called the number “very critical” and questioned whether things would move forward if the school budget were to be cut. “I will not vote to reduce it even more. It’s tough times for everybody, but the $80.3 million doesn’t begin to meet the costs” necessary to provide every student an education, said Scott Harris, D-9.

Hamden Finally Has a New Police HQ

Hamden Police Department moves to new home By Ann DeMatteo, Register Staff adematteo@nhregister.com / Twitter: @annddematteo HAMDEN — While the Police Department moves into its new digs, the Legislative Council is getting ready to approve another contract for Diggs Construction. Police Chief Thomas J. Wydra told the Legislative Council Monday night that central communications and 911 were moved to the new police station during the day. Detectives also moved in. Wydra later credited Utility Communications and AT&T for “fine work” in Monday’s transition, as well as to the New Haven Police Department for handling the town’s 911 calls. “Ninety percent of the property is moved in from the old buildings. The rest will happen over the next two days,” the chief said later. He said all will be in the new building by Thursday. For the last 2½ years, the old Memorial Town Hall at Dixwell and Whitney avenues has been under construction, with the adjacent Fire Department space being renovated, and the new police station added to the newly renovated 1924 structure. It is expected the Fire Department will move in next month. The council’s Planning and Development Committee Monday night approved an agreement to keep Diggs Construction of Hartford as the town’s construction consultant and owner’s representative for the remainder of the renovation. The company already has been paid about $160,000 and will be paid just under $300,000 through the rest of the project, said Curt Leng, chief administrative officer. The money will come from the $40 million project allocation, which hasn’t exceeded its bonding limit, Leng said. Diggs serves as a liaison between the Town Building Committee, the administration and A.P. Construction of Stamford, which is the construction manager and adviser. “If we didn’t have the assistance of Diggs on this project, there’s no way the Police Department would have moved in this week. Their services have been exemplary,” especially in terms of developing an accurate construction schedule, Leng said. The Police Department received a temporary occupancy permit Friday from the Building Department, Leng said.

Traffic Calming in Hamden

By Ann DeMatteo, Register Staff adematteo@nhregister.com / Twitter: @annddematteo HAMDEN — The town, in cooperation with residents, is moving ahead with “traffic calming.” A plan to improve east-west traffic flow in the Spring Glen and Whitneyville neighborhoods has been completed, and other “calming” options are being pursued. Some roads already have been painted with directional lines and symbols, aimed at getting traffic to slow down, said Curt Balzano Leng, the town’s chief administrative officer. “Throughout Spring Glen and Whitneyville, we will do our best to implement paint-only and in-street signage, stop bars and crosswalks,” keeping costs down, Leng said. A steering committee, made up of town officials and civic association representatives, has reviewed the east-west transportation study by Fitzgerald & Halliday Inc. and some recommendations will be implemented, Leng said. For example, a small traffic circle will be installed at Connolly Parkway, Thornton and Elgin streets to help prevent drivers from running stop signs. Traffic calming has been a focus in the administration of Mayor Scott D. Jackson, as requested by residents. The South Central Regional Council of Governments paid $40,000 for the east-west study. It recommends spending more than $1 million over five years on traffic improvements. Plans to begin a traffic study of the Hamden Plains and Wintergreen Avenue area are under way, according to COG Executive Director Carl Amento. Once a company is hired to perform the study, it will run from September 2012 to June 2013, he said. The town will pay $15,000 for a study of the West Woods neighborhood. The east-west study recommends a variety of traffic-calming methods, most of which are inexpensive, Amento said. Some can be temporary, to determine their effectiveness, before proceeding. For instance, rubber humps can be used before pavement humps are installed. All are intended to get drivers to be more attentive and slow down, Amento said. Francisco Gomes of Fitzgerald & Halliday presented the east-west transportation study at Miller Library Senior Hall. Hamden has limited east-west connectivity, the report notes. Traffic is increasing along those routes as drivers try to avoid north-south congestion, it says. Roads studied were Ardmore, Armory, Augur, Elgin, Haverford, Mather, Treadwell, Waite, Putnam and Connolly Parkway. Woodlawn Street residents, irritated that their street wasn’t included, were at the meeting. They said it didn’t make sense to exclude Woodlawn because it connects to Whitney Avenue and has no stop signs. “Speeding is bad. Our stretch is way longer. How could they not see that?” asked Jan Hagens. Officials have said that just because Woodlawn wasn’t included doesn’t mean it won’t get improvements. “It’s important to understand this isn’t the final chapter. It’s the prologue, a jumping off point. It doesn’t mean you’re not eligible for traffic calming,” said Julie Smith, deputy chief administrative officer. Hagens maintained, however, that “an entire neighborhood needs to be looked at in a systematic, wholistic way so ... street is not pitted against street.” Eileen M. O’Neill, a Gordon Street resident affiliated with civic associations and the townwide steering committee, said she will attend a Woodlawn meeting and “get them into the game.” It will be Saturday at the home of Carol Cheney. O’Neill said she doesn’t like the consultant’s proposal for a “T” intersection at Waite and Mather streets. The report says that would simplify the intersection, reduce speeds and provide space for sidewalks. “My dream is to make it a park-recreation setting. I don’t know if my dreams will come true, but it’s a treasure to be able to walk along Lake Whitney.”

Baseball

Baseball season is here, friends. Can't wait to see the new Sox in action. Predictions for winners?

New Playground Coming!

By Ann DeMatteo, Register Staff
adematteo@nhregister.com / Twitter: @annddematteo

HAMDEN — The town’s most popular play area for children, Larry’s Playground, is going to be refurbished and relocated at Bassett Field.

“It’s part of the plans for a revitalized Bassett Field and safety improvements,” said Curt Leng, chief administrative officer.

The Legislative Council voted Monday night to allow Mayor Scott D. Jackson to apply for state capital improvement aid that will pay for the work. The town will spend up to $259,215 in state money.

Existing playground equipment will be removed and new equipment from GameTime will be installed in an adjacent area to avoid the drainage problem the playground has.


According to town Grants Administrator Florence Villano, the current site, opened in 1995, has developed serious drainage issues, leaving a large section of the playground unusable for a good part of the year. The original playground equipment, made of pressure-treated wood, has outlived its useful life. The old location will be graded and seeded and used for passive recreation, Villano wrote in a memo to Jackson.

Julie Smith, deputy chief administrative officer, said the work should start in mid-May after the town seeks bids through the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, the leading national government purchasing cooperative. The town now will apply for the state grant.

The new playground will have a rubber safety surface, access for those with disabilities and other improvements.

Also in the coming months, the town plans to improve Bassett Field, according to Leng. New sidewalks will be installed along Ridge Road and Waite Street, and parking will be added across from the field, adjacent to the Hamden Dog Park.

“We will expand the size of the parking on Waite Street, gaining 20 to 30 spaces,” Leng said.

High sidewalks along the park side of Waite Street will prevent patrons from parking on the road, improving safety, Leng said. People will be able to access the park at the corner of Waite and Ridge, or at a new crosswalk planned for Waite Street. Speed tables will be installed on Waite to reduce speeding near the park.

Learning

We learn more and more
about more things every day if we try.


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Santorum???

Really?



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How Can We Improve Our Town

In 2012?



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Live VH Concert Thursday?

Check out www.vhnd.com for info about a possible small venue live show from the boys on Thursday in New York.

Info at the following Rolling Stone link:


http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/van-halen-to-perform-at-new-yorks-cafe-wha-this-thursday-20120102

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Music News - Van Halen Press Conference Tomorrow?

Maybe to announce tour plans and album - stay tuned!

The Van Halen News Desk (VHND.com) has breaking news on all things surrounding the much anticipated new Van Halen album! Here’s the schedule of events leading up to the new album’s release:

JANUARY 3rd:
*CONCERT DATES & CITIES ANNOUNCED for first wave of tour

JANUARY 10th:
*FIRST SINGLE PREMIERE
*FIRST MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE
*CONCERT TICKETS GO ON SALE

FEBRUARY 7th:
NEW ALBUM RELEASE DATE

ALBUM TITLE: “The Future” is not the album title, as rumored. Stay tuned to VHND.com for an update on the actual album and song titles.

Happy New Year 2012

Working on blogging more for 2012, politics, as usual - but also with music, movies and sports. First attempt to update is today with the addition of my live twitter feed to the website. Enjoy and pass it along if you like it!