Pride in the Name of Love

Twofer to start: Happy Birthday to my youngest sister (who secretly, and sometimes not so, I suspect regards her two older sisters as drafts), Jill and welcome to earth to my niece's daughter, Zoe, who arrived yesterday (that traffic uptown is brutal, ain't it?).

This is a long weekend for a lot of people, and that may be how most of us see this. Monday is a federal holiday (I almost typed legal as if we had illegal holidays, which only applies to smiles, the last time I checked) in observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. I'm not sure that many of us sometimes get caught up in the 'three dayness' of these weekends and the reason for them gets lost somewhere.

A lot of municipalities across the nation will join hands, if only for the day, to honor the life (and death) of a human being remembered for his humanity at a time in our country's history of chaos and uncertainty. By espousing and embodying charity and kindness in a cruel world, he not only helped make a difference, but, himself, became the difference. We are not the just and fair society we aspire to be, as he (with so many others throughout the history of our republic) hoped we would be, but we are getting there, even if the progress is slow and the journey is long. Next year, Jerusalem. But who saves Port-au-Prince this year?

Here in Norwich we'll have another installment of our annual remembrance at City Hall. My daughter and I used to attend and march to the church (I never go in; I'm sure God has long since forgiven me, but I'm not sure I can say the same) with many of the same faces I see in the grocery store during the rest of the year, but we're always joined by one or two new people and that's a warming thought on what some years has been a cold day. If you can't join us where we are, I hope you can celebrate where you are.

After the speeches, the newspaper editorials and all the gestures, sincere as they will be, instead of going home or to the mall, why not make the day count for people who have nothing and yet always seem to lose even more, the victims of the natural catastrophe in Haiti. I've never been there, and probably never will, but in the video and photos of Haiti, in good times, the poverty is overwhelming.

I know I cannot even imagine what a calamity like this leaves in its wake, but now is not the time to wring our hands in sorrow or clench our fists in anger that so much sadness can befall one people. Do not hestitate because there is too much to do--act so that each one can reach one and help save those who can be saved, because by doing so we save ourselves.

This is the time and we are the people who can help, and what better time to do it than this weekend as we honor the life and work of Dr. King? You don't have to move more than a finger--take your cell phone and text "Haiti" to the number 90999. Your text message will result in a $10 donation to the Red Cross. Or you can text "Yele" to 501501. That will result in a $5 donation to Yéle Haiti, a grassroots organization started by singer and Haiti native Wyclef Jean. Here are some links to other no-red-tape organizations already on the ground on the island where the hurt is now: UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders and Partners in Health.

"One man caught on a barbed wire fence.

One man he resists.

One man washed on an empty beach.

One man betrayed with a kiss.

In the name of love!

What more in the name of love?
In the name of love!
What more? In the name of love!"

-bill kenny

Picture Postcards from Panmunjom

It's nice, Living in the USA, to believe democracy is a natural state of being for all The Lord's creatures, great and small, proletarian or kulak, Gucci or Gulag-and maybe it is, but it's more than likely money makes the world go round (and Joel Grey just this side of Creep Show scary). Even as the dominoes fell in the late eighties and early nineties, the dustbins of history filled up with the ruins of totalitarian states, the bastions of communism collapsed and even Captive Nations went free range, there was no relief for the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. (Castro's Cuba, often descibed as nearly as bleak and barren, at least has baseball, and rum and coke come to think of it, though in recent days they've declined an option on Mark McGwire.)

What little news that ever escapes from North Korea is almost always relentlessly grim as living conditions are reported as so poor it seems impossible anyone, anywhere, could live in such a manner. Thus, I was stunned, yes, stunned, to read yesterday the same nation that threatens at least once an hour to engulf the entire peninsula they share, albeit grudgingly, with South Korea, by unleashing a ferocious all-out assault on their neighbor, is now wooing American tourists.

I know, sounds like something NatLamp, back when it was real magazine and a really funny one at that, would do as a parody but this is a real story (actually, it sounds more like something Jello Biafra and the Gang might have come up with as follow-up). I'm curious as to what American tourists would (could) do in North Korea. And talk about unnecessary requirements, the longest you can stay is four days. I know, 'Aw shucks!' Me, too. In what fever dream would I have to be living to spend the entire flight home digging pieces of the Pyongyang Airport tarmac out from under my fingernails because they had to drag me onto the plane?

Gotta admit, the Arirang Mass Games Festival sounds interesting, for an hour or so-a two month celebration of the birthday of the late "Great Leader"? On the other hand, I guess it beats the heck out of trying out new recipes for stone soup and rock ragout. Where's Comrade Rachel Ray when you really need her? I'm visualizing the Travelocity gnome in a Mao jacket. Play your cards right and see something you shouldn't, and those four days in North Korea could feel like the rest of your life. Mail me a postcard, Comrade, and sign it 'the workers control the means of production!'
-bill kenny

Not exactly the Plain and Tall Variety

I read the news accounts on line Tuesday about the next (lucrative, I'm sure) career for a former part-time KTUU-TV sportscaster, who went on to bigger, if not better, things, as the former governor of Alaska and vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, is signing on as a Fox News commentator (did you just sigh, 'as if there were anything else on that channel'?). According to the LA Times article, "(s)he is one of the most talked about and politically polarizing figures in the country," said Bill Shine, the network's executive vice president of programming (who is point man for the network on this hiring, because someone had to be). And who among us can blame any of the 24/7 chatter channels for going with the big name? Put your hand down. Don't you know a rhetorical question when you read one? Or two?

American television is driven by advertising rates and the trick is to create programming that attracts the most eyeballs in the belief that the rest of the body follows. Those programs then deliver these consumers to those selling goods, services or ideas. And the halls echo with the sound of salesmen. In a perfect world, Masterpiece Theater would be the most watched program on the box of many colors (all in high-def). I would settle for Mystery Science Theatre 3000, but the perfect world is a few more miles down an Interstate that we'll never build, so can we interest you, instead, in a show where people eat worms for money? A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse (sorry, Bentley! Easy, big fella).

I hasten to point out, even though it's called Fox NEWS Channel, the big viewer draw, as it is for both CNN and MSNBC, are the OO's (opinionated oafs), the boys and girls, impeccably dressed and perfectly coiffed, who offer opinions in dogmatic tones of voice because, through intellectual alchemy, that will automatically change them into facts. I'm teasing of course; put the torch down. Freedom of choice includes watching what you want when you want on TV. Think Charlton Heston, with a remote. The large dollars are going to commentators, or as they are called now, analysts (another word starting with "A" is often as accurate, but that's a blog for another time) which, in fairness, covers a lot of ground, be it steak or chuck. And your analysts need to have a profile, and let's face it, everyone knows, or thinks they do, Sarah Palin.

Her book has been wildly successful, as have her public appearances and even after leaving the Governor's mansion in Anchorage, she's been making political headlines. Her widely-reported assertion on Facebook this past summer (as the debate on health care reached a boil in Washington, D. C.) about how "death panels" would determine if seniors and disabled deserved healthcare was voted the biggest political lie of the year by readers of Politifact.com, a nonpartisan fact-checking site run by the St. Petersburg Times. Considering all the things that were said this last year, that is quite an achievement, I guess. Ms. Palin's future boss, Mr. Shine, said he wasn't concerned she'd make false assertions on the air. I guess FNC is big enough to have a separate division to handle 'concern', but I'm reassured, almost, when he offers, "(a)long the way, we'll talk to her and have conversations and I'm sure everything will be fine." As the lady, herself, might say, okie-doke, Mr. Shine. I think our TV viewing is about to get a whole lot more interesting. You might want to pull the chips and dip even closer, buddy. Didja want something cold out of the fridge? I'm already up.
-bill kenny

Owning the Decision and Everything that Follows

Tuesday night as part of its meeting agenda, the men and women of the Norwich City Council will, in some shape, size or form, decide on an offer by the State of Connecticut to purchase that portion of the former Norwich State Hospital property within the city limits for a dollar. Let me hasten to add there are a number of conditions to the sale including an assumption by the residents of Norwich of both the responsibility and costs of environmental remediation of the entire parcel.

The advisory panel, assembled by the previous City Council, after months of research and conversations with subject matter experts ranging from historians through hazardous material disposal specialists reported estimated remediation costs in seven figures for a property that so far has yet to have a purpose or function articulated for it.

The question before all of us, but most especially the seven people at the front of the room Tuesday is two sided: Can we afford to buy this property? Can we afford NOT to buy it? Now might be a good time to take out a blank sheet of paper, number as much as you'd like and do not copy from your neighbor as you compile your own list of reasons for how you would decide.

But speaking of lists, at a Saturday session a month ago, the Council and City Manager agreed on a ranking of challenges and opportunities facing our city. Their Top Six included (in order): a need to promote Norwich; the lack of an economic development plan; an inability to establish and attain realistic goals; location, history and citizenship; emergency services and a lack of manufacturing jobs and proliferation of service jobs.

In the Saturdays that have followed, progress has been made on sorting out the responsibilities involved in creating, articulating, staffing and managing the various aspects of a cogent and coherent action plan to enhance economic development (and the revenue streams that such development provides) across Norwich.

They'll all meet again this Saturday morning at eight in Room 335 of City Hall with the advisory boards and organizations involved so far in answering questions and concerns about demographic and economic aspects to better develop a snapshot of where Norwich (is) Now before choosing a path and pace towards which we can head.

There will be a second meeting on Saturday, at 1230, also in Room 335, with State Senator Edith Prague and representatives of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, to share with the members of the City Council as an informational workshop (I imagine much of) the information the Norwich Hospital Site Advisory has already gathered, developed and shared with the Council. There will be an 'opportunity for citizen comment' and if you've been procrastinating about making yourself heard, Saturday afternoon might be a time to rethink that position.

All of those Saturday discussions will be part of the perspective each of the alderpersons will use Tuesday evening, I hope, to decide despite the compelling reasons so many residents have shared during the public hearings, that Norwich should NOT purchase the former Hospital site property. Not necessarily part of the discussion Tuesday, but helping frame it, I'm sure, is Connecticut General Statute, 8-24, on the requirements for a two-third majority vote by a city council for any purchase receiving an unfavorable recommendation by its commission on the city plan (thank you ML for the citation). Meaning five yes votes, and not a simple majority of the Council, will be required.

It's not just the multi-millions in clean-up costs that disquiets me (though it certainly doesn't reassure me) or that those dollars are so urgently needed for other projects across and throughout the city., It's the total absence of any plan for what to do with the land (of which slightly less than half of its sort-of seventy acres reportedly can be developed). We're learning to plan our work and then to work our plan. We're not there yet, but we're getting there. When we do, it's not likely this opportunity will have vanished and the next time, we'll be ready, willing and finally able.
-bill kenny

Turns out House is Right.....

I'm curious about this: is there anyone who follows baseball, and I'll actually pull over and watch little ones play tee-ball if there's a game near where I'm driving, who didn't assume Mark McGwire was cranked while plying his trade and chasing home run records? And if you said you were surprised, would you be insulted if I didn't believe you?

Are you as impressed as I am about McGwire's motivations for finally 'fessing up or do you suspect they are as pure as the blood and his other bodily fluids that Major League Baseball failed, or forgot, to test. Reading all the 'news bulletins' and watching the sports networks go to max media feeding frenzy on this like it was date night at Piranha High School, I kept waiting for someone, anyone, to look into the camera and wink.

Could have been Bud Selig, Mr Stealth Charisma as Commissioner of Baseball (he's often mistaken for Kenesaw Landis, (especially by those who have NO idea who either one of them is, or cares; sort of like Fox Sports) who offered a I-kid-you-not straight-faced "Being truthful is always the correct course of action..." All I kept hearing was Frank Zappa, definitely not someone known for his love of the suicide squeeze.

Meanwhile, it should have been McGwire's former manager in both Oakland and in St. Louis (and who has hired him to be a hitting coach for the Cardinals) Tony LaRussa who is "encouraged" and who thinks "as we go along, his explanations will be well-received." I adored his insistence that he didn't know anything about Human Growth Hormones, or steroids in either team's clubhouse, so I have to conclude he's either clueless or, like his about-to-be hitting coach, a liar.

Tickets for St. Louis Cardinals spring training games at their Jupiter, Florida (Hi, Mom!) complex go on sale this Saturday (and nice coverage of your own guy). The website doesn't really get into it, but I wouldn't be surprised if they accepted most major medical plans, as long as fans have a prescription benefit.

I've mentioned before that I love baseball, so it cuts me to the quick when I suggest, not in anger but more in sorrow, EVERYONE who's played Major League Baseball in the last fifteen years, and for the next five, be automatically disqualified for consideration for election to the Hall of Fame. I think all of us have to assume you cheated. Turns out every, or just about, word that sleazebag Canseco wrote was true--most major leaguers can't even spell petard, much less be hoist with it.

It's supposed to mean something, Barry, Mark, Sammy, Alex, Rafael, Rajah and all the other luckless, lunchless losers--and if you're one of the straight arrows who didn't cheat, too bad. You knew who did, because it's obvious even to a dolt like me that everyone knew and knowledge with NO action is the same thing as cheating because you tolerated it.

"Everybody lies. We're stuck in the middle. I think I liked it better when the world was round."

-bill kenny

Now the bricks lay on Grand Street where the neon madmen climb

I was surprised last Monday evening during the Norwich City Council meeting to hear during a citizen comment opposing the dissolution of the Ethics Review Commission until I realized the speaker had no idea the previous council had finally gotten off their aspirations and created one-which is a logical place for both of us to begin our look at this week's municipal meetings in Norwich as they hold a regular meeting at five this afternoon in Room 335 (the one with the lousy acoustics) of City Hall.

Also at five, also in City Hall, one floor down in Room 209, is a regular meeting of the Volunteer Firefighters' Relief Fund Committee whose December minutes aren't posted but whose draft minutes of their September meeting are available.

And while you'd never know it from reading their website, which has last year's schedule, there's a regular meeting of the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority at 5:15 in their offices in Gales Ferry at 1649 Route 12.

Tuesday morning at 8:30 in Room 335 of City Hall (What? See previous observation on acoustics) is a regular meeting of the Youth Service Advisory Board. A review of their most recent meeting minutes (here's November's) reports the absence of the "Youth Representative" which makes sense since the meetings are held during the school day, when, I assume, the youth representative would be in class. I applaud their Young Parents Program initiative and outreach though it's sobering for a fossil such as I, and a frightening statement on our culture, to realize it's intended to assist parents from 14-24 years old.

Tuesday afternoon at five is a regular meeting of the Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee at 50 Clinton Avenue. It's been a challenge in recent years, even before municipal dollars were tight to fund minimal infrastructure maintenance and slowly, at least where I drive and walk around The Rose City, the need to repair and replace is starting to outstrip the capacity of those charged to do so. The committee oversees some very talented and dedicated people but they're not magicians, so coin of the realm and the sacrifices to come up with it are going to be a topic we all will speak about and act upon, whether we like it or not.

Starting at 5:15, or 5:30 (I'll explain) in the Buckingham Memorial (not sure that's what the City's website lists as the address, to be honest) is a regular meeting of the Public Parking Commission, whose November 2009 minutes under 'Anything Else Brought Before The Commission' lead me to believe, municipal website to the contrary, the meeting will start at 5:30.

I'd hope as part of the support still being developed for the downtown businesses, we'd hear more, and soon, on some of the proposals for widespread refinement of downtown off-street parking and redistribution of metered spaces in terms of outlying versus city core locations.

At 5:30 in Kelly Middle School, is a regular meeting of the Board of Education (here's their December meeting minutes). You might want to pencil in on your February calendar now the next meeting of the Budget/Expenditure Committee, at a quarter of four on Thursday, 4 February, as they continue to research and collate the elements for the 2010/2011 requested budget. Talking a moment ago about matching resources to requirements in terms of infrastructure--when it comes to the percentage of the entire city's budget needed to support the Norwich Public Schools, we will have nothing but hard choices as state and federal aid, General Custer, may be still in Fort Apache instead of where we need them to be come budget formulation time.

The regular (7 PM) meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals in the basement conference room at 23 Union Street, despite what it says in one of the newspapers, is cancelled according to the City's website, as were the November and December regular meetings. Also, according to the website, there seems to be a "Republican" vacancy on the board, though the Charter of the city makes no reference to political affiliations as qualifications to volunteer, or, for that matter, any role by either party's town committee in 'screening' applicants to serve on citizen panels. I'm curious as to where unaffiliated registered voters, whose taxes are all paid, are supposed to send applications to volunteer unless that's sort of the unspoken point......hmm.

And at 7:30, in Room 335 of City Hall, speaking of zoning, there's an informational workshop slated for the men and women on the City Council, but open to everyone, with Attorney Michael Zizka.

If you were looking forward to Wednesday's Rehabilitation Review Board meeting at 8:45 in the 2nd floor conference room of the Planning Department at 23 Union Street (or in the Norwich Community Development Offices, as it says in one of the newspapers), maybe I can offer you something else as it's been postponed to next Wednesday, the 21st, same bat time, same bat station (yeah, like you could've resisted).

At six o'clock, there's a regular meeting of the Norwich Baseball Stadium Authority, and judging by their draft December minutes, if you're planning on attending, better be prompt because if you blink, you'll miss it.

The Norwich Public Safety Committee meets, hopefully, at seven this time in the Occum Volunteer Fire Department. I say 'hopefully' because the previous two meetings were cancelled. (Posting a schedule on the city's website of this year's meetings would be a nice idea.)

Thursday afternoon at 5:15 in Room 210 of City Hall is a regular meeting of the Mohegan Park Improvement and Development Advisory Committee whose most recent minutes are here, but their piece of this web page could do with a spring clean, in advance of spring. And once more, but this time with feeling, the Charter recognizes members of citizen panels being present or absent, one or zero. There is no such thing as 'excused', nor are there any 'accused', 'abused', or 'confused'. Same goes for ''unexcused', 'kidnapped while parking the car and we're scrambling for ransom' or 'playing hard to get.' Sort of a Is or Is You Ain't My Baby situation.

At six, though I'm unclear where (rumor suggests the Wunderbar) is a regular meeting of the Greeneville Neighborhood Revitalization Zone. The minutes of their November meeting, seemingly in Australia on the other side of the earth, suggest the next meeting might have an update on the return of their polling place to the voters of Greeneville. On behalf of the members of all branches of the Armed Forces serving to protect the rights and duties of democracy everywhere, I'm sure that idea that would meet with their support as well.

Also at six, on their Uncas on the Thames campus, in the Campbell Building, is a regular meeting of the Uncas Health District Board of Directors.

Saturday morning, starting at eight, is the next iteration of the City Council, Mayor and City Manager 'Brainstorming and Force Ranking Session' in Room 335 of City Hall. You can almost check out the progress of this process if you start here, and read the two tables that support the notes, and then read here as well. I can't share the 26 December notes with you because the Council meeting minutes of the 21st have been loaded onto the website twice, once for the 21st and once for the 26th, so why not stop in and see for yourself how well this is all going.

I suspect Keith R, Andy D and Kathleen M will be grateful for your presence as they're politely sick of having to look at my ugly mug. And without sounding like an infomercial, but wait, there's more! There's (yet) ANOTHER informational session, with the City Council, State Senator Edith Prague, and representatives of the CT Department of Environmental Protection, Saturday afternoon at 1230 also in Room 335, on the Norwich Hospital Site Property, "with an opportunity for citizen comment."

Considering the purchase will, in all likelihood be on the Council's agenda for a vote next Tuesday night at seven-thirty, you have a decision to make about your whereabouts this Saturday. Remember, silence = consent. "An' here I sit so patiently, waiting to find out what price you have to pay to get out of Going through all these things twice."

-bill kenny

Ask the Fellow on the Donkey about the Fickleness of the Mob Mentality

I think that this ends up being written for a Sunday is coincidental to what, I hope, is my point, though most of the time, when I'm finally finished I can't see my point with both eyes, because I'm covering them with both hands after having already used them to try to hit something else. Can't wait to see if that's what happens this time and won't be surprised if it does.

Here in The Land of Steady Habits Wednesday, less cosmically coincidentally also the Feast of the Three Kings, one of the liberal Lions of the Senate, Christopher Dodd, announced he would not seek re-election to what would have been his sixth term in the United States Senate.

This was major news across our nation, as well as it should have been, so you can imagine locally how much coverage it received, especially since Senator Dodd's roots are here in Eastern Connecticut having been born in Willimantic. Politics was/is the family business, as his dad, Thomas (born in Norwich, he was our baseball stadium's namesake), was also a Senator and Executive Trial Counsel during the Nuernberg War Crimes Tribunal. In 1967 he was censured by the US Senate for converting campaign funds to personal accounts and spending the money. The censure, in essence, ended his political career.

I mention the 'sins', if you will, of the father because they, along with political, ethical, philosophical and personal disagreements generated by decades in public life were visited upon the son, in spades, when he made his 'no mas' announcement. Our local newspapers and television station coverage was massively extensive but here in the Air Age of the Diamond Dogs, where interactivity is all the vogue, it was the commentary of website visitors who became the real story behind this story.

I'm amazed at how cruel we are to one another when we feel ourselves invisible, or in the case of newspapers with interactive reader forums, anonymous bloggers. Some of the things we write on line are probably legally actionable and many of us don't realize you can poll a server hosting a site, determine the ip address of the computer and, surprise!, we're NOT anonymous anymore.

How did we become a nation of VERY PI$$ED OFF people who shout AT one another rather than speak TO each other? I don't know and I don't know how to stop it much less reverse it. And when the news cycle had run its course, and the vitriol and vituperation were finally spent, then what? As the circle of those who hate us draws closer and larger, we remain pre-occupied with keeping up with, and keeping track of, the Joneses (or whatever their names are this headline), almost as oblivious to the dangers without as we are immune to the toxins within.

Some days I don't recognize us, and don't really want to. I was angry at my parents for the world they gave to me-what should we be telling our children as they take ownership? For all who clamored, again, for 'mandating term limits' here are five reasons in opposition: James Buckley '80; Roger Eddy '86; Brook Johnson, '92; Gary Franks, '98 and Jack Orchulii, '04. These were the opponents Chris Dodd faced in the course of the last thirty years, capturing on average over 62% of all votes cast. We already have term limits, but in my country we call them elections.
-bill kenny