Hardware City Journal - Vol. 3 No. 2 - March 9, 2012

8/2/2019 Hardware City Journal - Vol. 3 No. 2 - March 9, 2012

1/16

New Britains FREE weekly newspaper Vol. 3, No. 2

School Administrator Named to theLatino American Whos Who

New Britain -- Cynthia Cassada,

Coordinator for Bilingual, ESOL &

World Language for the Consolidat-

ed School District of New Britain,

has been named to the latest edi-tion of the Latino American Whos

Who.

The Latino American Whos

Who, a New York-based biologi-

cal publication, selects and distin-

guishes leading Latino profession-

als through the world who have attained a recognizable degree

of success in their eld of endeavor, and thereby contributed tothe growth of their industry and culture.

The 2011 edition, which is the latest compilation, will appear in

The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., along with cor-

porate and academic libraries nationally. Cassada will receive a

plaque to commemorate her inclusion in the publication.

Cassada said her inclusion will allow her the opportunity to

network with other professionals.

I can use it to try to connect with other coordinators and su-

pervisors that deal with ESL (English as a Second Language)

to see how theyre using the Common Core State Standards,

Cassada said.

(Continued on page 7 ADMINISTRATOR)

Friday, March 9, 2012

Mayors Aide RespondsHow could so many facts about one in-

dividual be so wrong? This is the sen-

timent of those defending accusations

regarding the statements and actions

of mayoral aide Phil Sherwood. A two-page letter to Mayor Timothy O'Brien

from Republican School Board member

Paul Carver accuses Sherwood of inter-

rupting an executive session in which

school board members were in the pro-

cess of choosing a new superintendent.

Carver says Sherwood tried to enter the

meeting uninvited and unannounced and threatened to call the

board "racists" if we choose Kelt L. Cooper of Del Rio,TX.

Communications Director Sherwood states adamantly he never

used the word "racists", "never entered the room, never made

threats to anyone and was only acting on the mayor's behalf."

Board of Education President Sharon Beloin-Saavedra is not dis-

cussing the issue but did also say Sherwood was acting on behalf

of the mayor. Mayor O'Brien wanted to ask Board members what

they knew about Cooper's upholding of laws which do not allow

Mexican citizens from across the border to attend school in dis-

tricts where they do not live. He also says Mayor O'Brien want-

ed to make sure Democrats were informed of all the salient facts."

Sherwood asks, "Does the mayor's ofce have a right to ask

questions? "Our previous mayor frequently and properly of-

fered opinions regarding policy and procedures of the Board of

Education. Not once did Paul Carver stand up and protest."

Sherwood maintains the mayor's ofce has no preference in a

superintendent choice but he also acknowledges "Cooper hit

home run after home run during the interview process.


2/16


3/16

Hardware City Journal Friday, March 9, 2012 3

Mayor Timothy O BrienOur nation and state need a strong planto move forward to a better future, re-

store prosperity and begin rebuilding

an economy in which our middle class

grows and prospers rather than shrinks

and struggles.

The outsourcing of middle class Ameri-

can jobs to low-wage countries, and the

free-trade regime that promotes it, is re-

sponsible for the economic mess we are

in and the resulting budget problems for

both the federal and state government.

And so, if we are to move to a better eco-

nomic future, we must begin reversing

the damage caused by the outsourcing

away of middle class jobs.

Much of these problems have been

caused because of failed federal policies.

But I strongly believe that there are strong

policies our state and local government

can undertake to undercut the damage

of outsourcing and begin rebuilding our

middle class economy.

For example, in government contracting,a prevailing wage is dened as the hourly

wage and benets paid to the majority of

workers or laborers within a geographic

area. Prevailing wages are established

uniquely for each trade and occupation

and are important in ensuring that public

construction projects do not destabilize

the local economy by driving down wag-

es through taxpayer subsidies for low

wage employment. Prevailing wage laws

leverage public works investments in a

way that supports local economies and

advances other priorities such as work-

force development.

The Prevailing Wage law was enacted

as a way to protect states from corporatepractices that undercut the middle class.

Here in Connecticut, we have some won-

derful apprenticeship programs and highstandards for licensed workers. There

are those who have attempted to weaken

and strip this law. Weakening this law

will undoubtedly further open the ood

gates for out of state companies to un-

der-bid projects, bus in their own out-of-

state workers, and pay them a low wage

with no health insurance. Many of the

workers will be unlicensed or unfamiliar

with local regulations and requirements.

And once a project is complete, they will

head back to their own states rather than

spending money here in our state. In-

stead of stripping this law, we should be

talking about expanding it so that our tax

dollars arent used to lower the standard

of living for the middle class.

Currently our states Prevailing Wage law

applies to public construction projects,

both state and municipal, and rendering

services in state buildings. State grants,

loan guarantees and tax credits do not ap-

ply. There is proposed legislation at the

state level, SB 181, which seeks to expand

the Prevailing Wage laws to state-fundedgrants. The rational is simple if taxpayer

dollars are being spent with the goal of cre-

ating jobs, then those jobs should be for CT

residents and should provide families sus-

taining wages.

With the Prevailing Wage there is an open

bidding process. An open bid gives small

construction companies and minority or

women owned companies a better shot

at being awarded a project. But without

an open bidding process, a construc-

tion company can be hand-picked, often

through cronyism.

If we do not buy from Connecticut com-

panies and invest our money in Con-necticut businesses that pay good wages,

what are we saying about our own state

economy - Connecticut-made goods and

services are not good enough or are notworth investing in?

I sincerely hope that the federal govern-

ment will change course and move away

from free-trade and other policies that al-

low or even encourage the outsourcing

away of middle-class American jobs to

low-wage places. But I do not think that

we, as the people of our state, can waitfor that to happen. Action is needed now

to create jobs, rebuild our middle class

economy and start to undo the forty years

of damage Wall Street has done to the

American dream.

I hope, for the good of generations to

come, other elected government ofcials

will agree.


4/16

Hardware City Journal4 Friday, March 9, 2012

EDITORIAL

To the CloudWe hear quite a lot these days about the

advent of cloud computing, where data

and information services are available 24

hours a day, 7 days a week in an ethe-

real state of existence, as if this cloud

were an inherent state of nature--a well

spring of information and information

services occurring naturally in the sky,

free and unencumbered for use by all.

It can safely be said that all this is just

marketing malarkey, nothing more than

hype designed to desensitize you to the

fragility and inherent insecurity of our

ever-increasingly inter-connected digital

world.

Do not be fooled, this much ballyhooed

cloud is merely a collection of servers

(computers optimized for a dedicated or

specialized purpose) cobbled together by

communications networks and software,

built, controlled and kept running by

the energies of engineers and program-

mers, working at the behest of large cor-

porations. If this cloud sounds to youvaguely like the Internet--you are not

as gullible as the corporate myth-mak-

ers would wish. Now that the Internet

is quite rightly gaining a reputation as

a sometimes unseemly, dangerous and

insecure realm it is imperative for our

corporate overlords to give the Internet

a public relations make-overviola, we

now have the cloud.

The vast amounts of communications

hardware and computer equipment that

comprise the Internet and make it a real-

ity havent just come together as a conse-

quence of some natural order (God was

indeed very busy during the 6 days of

creation, but the Internet was not on the

list of things to do), these systems of com-

puting and telecommunications devices

have been arrayed and congured purely

to facilitate the needs of its creators; ini-

tially the government/military industrial

complex and now the telecommunica-

tions and entertainment industries. The

Internet is not a pristine, idealized state

of Nature, it is a tool created by the hand-

iwork of mankind and as such it is sus-

ceptible to the failings of the more base

aspects of human nature. Moreover, un-

like a state of Nature the cloud does

not exist in a free and natural space, it is

a privately owned realm -- rmly under

corporate control and ownership, and as

such the cloud is nely attuned to the

ultimate of corporate prerogativesthe

pursuit of prot.

When one hears the siren call of corpo-

rate propaganda to share your infor-

mation, documents, photos, thoughts and

insights in the cloud or to join the con-

versation understand that this cloud

is a closed space, its ownership, unlike

a cloud is xed and nite. Your piece

of the cloud is a collection of bits, 0sand 1s electromechanically etched onto

a disk drive, spinning in a server farm

in some precise geographic location,

where no doubt a corporate data aggre-

gator is extracting as much information

about you either specically or in com-

pilation for one purpose and one purpose

only, to boost the bottom line

of the corporate balancesheet. Those 1s and

0s and the story they

tell about you are just

another commodity

for corporations to

own, manage, trade

or otherwise manip-

ulate in an attempt

to extract prot. And

as a tool of corporate

prot, all this data about

you is shared among corporations with

very little regard to your personal safe-

ty and privacy should this information

be stolen or otherwise compromised by

hackers. It seems each day brings news

of data breeches, leaks, and hacks. Sony,

McDonalds, Bank of America, Wells

Fargo, TJMaxx, Gawker Media, these

are just a few of the notable corporations

in recent memory that have sheepishly

acknowledged security breeches wherein

customers private data have been com-

promised. The expediency of quarterly

prots leaves your security up in the

air.

Perhaps though, the most dangerous ad-

vent of the cloud may be that these

cyber issues are beginning to prompt

the attention of Washington DC. Calls

have already been heard for the creation

of a public-private partnership to ensure

greater cyber security and an Internet

privacy bill of rights. It is bad enough

that marketers and corporate executivesbelieve their own hype and have their

heads stuck in the cloudsthe politi-

cians in Washington can do no better as

their heads are stuck in a place that is

more intimate and closer to the ground.


5/16


FINANCE

Its Your MoneyYou Worked Hard for It, What are Your Options?

by Al Mosley

During these unprecedented nancial

times how does a municipality commence

with the construction of a new hospital or

industrial complex? Municipal bonds are

often the answer. Municipal securities or

munis are a loan by an investor to a lo-

cal or state government. The purpose of

these bonds is to raise revenue for con-

struction and public works projects. Un-

like a promise to pay from your cousin

who wants a loan for a new car, these

bonds are second only to United Statesgovernment and U.S. agency securities

as far as safety is concerned, although

the stability of the municipality must be

taken into consideration. As a result cit-

ies having a difcult time meeting their

next payroll or are continually cutting

educational or safety budgets are proba-

bly bond issues which need a closer look.

If one does decide to purchase bonds you

receive documentation which describes

what the funds will be used for, the loan

terms and repayment schedule, the mu-

nicipalitys right to issue the debt instru-

ment and nancial data relevant to the

citys economic situation.

One of the things which makes munisattractive is the interest paid on a munici-

pal debt obligation is exempt from fed-

eral income tax. To obtain this status a

municipal bond must be issued to fund

public projects to qualify for federal tax

exemption.

Cities can raise money at a lower cost

than corporations because of this tax-

advantaged status. They tend to be more

appropriate for those in

higher tax brackets be-

cause the amount of tax

savings is larger.

Maturities of municipal

notes and bonds range

from 1 year or less to

up to 30 years or more

with maturity sched-

ules being term, serial

or balloon. Term bonds

call for all the principal

to mature at one time.An obligation with a serial maturity is

designed so bonds mature on specic

dates over a number of years until the

whole balance is repaid. A balloon matu-

rity, as the name suggests inates or pays

off the major portion at maturity.

General obligation bonds (GOs) and

revenue bonds are your choices whenit comes to purchasing municipal secu-

rities. GOs are backed by those proper-

ty taxes you pay every year as well as

nes and sales tax. They are used to raise

funds for city improvements such as to

x the pothole which swallowed your

Toyota last spring. Since they are backed

by taxes their overall safety is dependent

on a communitys population uctuation,different types of industry in the tax base,

local bank deposits,retail sales and prop-

erty values. Since taxes back general ob-

ligation bonds most cities require a vote

to approve new issues.

Revenue bonds do not require voter ap-

proval. They are used to raise funds for

any facility which generates notable in-

come.

These revenue-producing facilities may

include toll roads, housing, airports,

utilities hospitals, industrial and sports

complexes. They should support them-

selves and if the facility does not gen-

erate enough revenue to repay debts, the

bondholders-not the taxpayers-are held

liable.

Once a municipal bond is issued it is trad-

ed in the over-the-counter market. Bonds

are listed in nancial publications such

as The Wall Street Journal, The Blue List

and The Bond Buyer.

Municipal securities are often attractive

to long-term investors and many issues

are small and thinly traded. As stated ear-lier, munis are a relatively safe way to

invest for tax-free income. One should

also remember since interest is not tax-

able their yields are lower than those of

government or corporate bonds.


6/16


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7/16


Senator Gerratana Cites Demand For

Manufacturing Jobs In ConnecticutNew survey shows nearly 23,000 manufacturing jobs advertised in

Connecticut last year; higher education degrees more necessaryA new analysis of Connecticuts 2011

labor market shows that state manu-

facturing companies advertised 22,680

manufacturing job openings last year, an

indication that Connecticuts traditional

manufacturing base is alive and well.

The Center for Regional Economic Com-

petitiveness of Virginia and the UMass

Donahue Institute of Massachusetts ana-

lyzed more than a quarter-million Web-

advertised job openings posted by Con-

necticut employers from January 1 toDecember 31, 2011.

They found that nearly 23,000 of those

advertisements were for manufacturing

jobs, mostly for sales-related positions,

general and operations managers, and

engineers in the pharmaceutical, medi-

cine and computer equipment industries.

Among production openings, most werefor quality inspectors & testers and CNC

tool operators.

This is solid evidence that there is a vi-

brant manufacturing community here in

Connecticut that is looking to hire and

expand, Sen. Gerratana said. I think as

the economy begins to rebound we will

see more of these types of ads for high-tech and bioscience workers. Thats the

future here in Connecticut, especially

considering the billion-dollar package

of businesses grants and loans and job

training incentives we just passed in Oc-

tober.

The researchers also noted that where

advertised, 47 percent of the positions

required some college or post-second-

ary education, while only 15 percent re-

quired a high-school degree. Since 1983,

the number of manufacturing jobs in

America requiring some college educa-

tion has increased from 22 percent to a

projected 38 percent by 2018, accordingto The Georgetown University Center on

Education and the Workforce.

Sen. Gerratana said the need for higher

education in todays high-tech manufac-

turing workplace is being addressed by

the General Assembly with legislation

such as naming three community colleg-

es as manufacturing centers to equipclassrooms and better prepare students

for careers with state-based manufactur-

ers, and with proposed changes to the

technical high school system that will

tailor programming to the needs of em-

ployers.

Theres no doubt about it we are mov-

ing to produce a 21st century workforce,

she said.

ADMINISTRATOR

(Continued from Page 1)

The Latino American Whos Who in-cludes Latino Americans from a wide

range of industries.

Cassada has held her current position

since 2008. From 2004 to 2008, she

was the principal of Lincoln Elementary

School in New Britain.


8/16


ARTS

Flash Mob to PromoteTheatrical Production

To promote their production of the hit

Broadway musical Hairspray, the cast

from New Britain High School will put

on a ash mob performance this Satur-

day, March 10, at 1 p.m. at the Westfarms

Lord & Taylor, second-oor dress area

Please come show your support.

New Britain Youth Theater Announces SpringStage Performance Class

New Britain, CT New Britain Youth

Theater has announced a new term of its

Stage Performance class to begin this

month.

In Stage Performance, children study

acting techniques, voice, movement, and

improvisation to learn to perform togeth-

er as a group. Each term, they rehearse

scenes chosen especially for the children

enrolled and with the input of the chil-

dren themselves. Small group sizes give

each child quality instruction and guar-antee that everyone has a featured part

in the nal performance. Designed for

ages 6 through 12, Stage Performance

is ideal for younger actors, children who

want their rst experience onstageor

a little more experienceor even older

children who arent able to audition and

rehearse for full productions. The small-

scale performance, with simple costumes

and props, is held in the last half hour of

the nal class and is open to family and

friends. The program meets on Saturday

mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

for eight weeks beginning on March 24.The cost is $100.00 per student for all

eight weeks.

For more details and a printable registra-

tion form, please visit the theaters web-

site at www.nbyt.org or call 860-515-

8115.

ABOUT NEW BRITAIN YOUTH THEATERNew Britain Youth Theater was founded

in 2010 to provide after-school program-

ming to the Consolidated School District

of New Britain, to produce a season of

performances by and for children and

young adults, and to offer drama classes

and summer programs. The theater reach-

es children and their families in Greater

New Britain, Greater Hartford, the Farm-

ington Valley, and throughout Connecti-

cut. NBYT is dedicated to enriching the

lives of children and young adults by

encouraging creative thinking, foster-

ing self-condence and self-esteem, anddeveloping general life skills through in-

volvement in low-cost programs in the

performing arts. NBYT maintains its

administrative ofce at Trinity-on-Main

Performance Center in downtown New

Britain, and operates programs through-

out Greater New Britain. New Britain

Youth Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprot

organization.


9/16


SENIOR EVENTS

PROPERTY TAX RELIEFThe senior center is taking appointments for the

homeowners, additional veterans and freeze prop-

erty tax relief programs. Individuals 65 or older in

2011 or who received social security disability bene-

ts are eligible for a discount on their property taxes

if their total income was less than $32,300 for single

applicants or $39,500 for married couples. These

homeowners income limits include 2011 social se-

curity benets. Those who have received benets

under the old freeze program are eligible to maintain

their property tax relief if their income, excludingsocial security, was less than $6,000. Those who

have been enrolled in either program in past years

have received a letter from the tax assessor if they

must reapply this year. Finally, if a married couple

wishes to apply, it is only necessary for one of the

spouses to have been over 65 to be eligible for the

program.

AARP SAFE DRIVERS COURSEThursday, March 22 8:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

An AARP Safe Drivers Course is offered. This is aone day course and interested persons can sign up at

the front desk starting March 2nd. The cost of the

course is $12.00 for AARP members and $14.00 for

non members. Please make check payable to AARP.

MANICURESTuesday March 13rd; 10:00 12 noon

Ladies- again, we welcome Newington Health Care

back to offer manicures. Signup sheet will be on the

Nurses Ofce Door or call and ask for the nurse to

set up an appointment at 860-826-3553 Mondaythrough Friday 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

TRIPS PLANNEDA number of day trips are being planned by the Stan-

ley Seniors Group and senior center members are

welcome to join up. Listed below are some denite

trips as well as some future planned trips.

March 13th Mohegan Sun Casino

April 10th Mohegan Sun Casino

May 8th Mohegan Sun Casino

April 26th Jersey Dreamers presents Last ofthe Clean Comedians staring: Glen Anthony

Thursday, April 26th. Bus leaves 7:30 a.m. from

Stanley Tools parking lot and returns approximate-

ly 6:00 p.m. Trip includes Deluxe Motor Coach,

Lunch, Show and Dancing and all tips. Lunch

includes: Salad/Pasta/Roast Beef/Chicken Par-

migianino/Salmon/Potato and Vegetables/Special

Desert/Coffee & Tea-Soda Plus one complementary

drink. Cost $80.00 Per Person / $25.00 Deposit due

at sign up.

MOTHERS DAY BRUNCH AT THE DELANEY HOUSESave the Date: Monday, May 14th. Package in-

cludes Round Trip Motor Coach, Brunch Buffet,

Music Entertainment and Drivers gratuity. COST:

$66.00 Per Person.

For more information on any of these trips call Rich-

ard Macchietto at 860-223-9144

SPRING BUS TRIPMonsignor Bojnowski Manor & Advanced Home

Healthcare

We would like to plan a bus trip to Newport RI for

a day in April. The cost would be about $25.00 per

person and we would need 52 people in order to

go for this price. If you are interested or have any

questions, please contact Mary Carpenter at 860-

229-0336

TRIAD PANCAKE BREAKFASTSunday, March 11th; 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Adult Advanced Tickets $5.00 ($6.00 at the door)

Children under 3 are FREE

Tea Cup Drawing! Bake Sale! Live Music! Kids

Color Contest!

Breakfast Includes: Pancakes, Eggs, Hash Browns,

Sausage, Bacon, Coffee

COMPUTER CLASSES OFFEREDAll classes are free, however, class sizes are lim-

ited. Sign up at the front desk

FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTERSMondays, 9 - 11 a.m.

Starting on March 19th

This course is intended for those persons who have

little or no knowledge of computers and would like

to start learning computer skills.

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERSTuesdays, 9 - 11 a.m.

Starting on March 20th

This course will cover basic computer skills such as

word processing, creating and saving documents, cre-

ating and organizing les as well as other pertinent top-

ics. Program is intended for persons who have basic

computer skills and wish to expand their prociency.

INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNETThursdays, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Starting on April 12th

This course will discuss and practice: Using internet

Browsers; surng the internet; using Email along with

sending and receiving pictures; download and upload

documents & pictures; using useful websites and other

interesting topics.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHYFridays, 9 - 11 a.m.

Starting on March 23rd

This course will cover an introduction to digital

cameras and their features. Downloading pictures

to computers, basic editing w/Picasa, storage and

printing.

SAINT PATRICKS PROGRAMWednesday, March 14th; 10:30a.m.

Join us for a special program celebrating St. Pat-

ricks Day on Wednesday, March 14th at 10:30a.m.

A special holiday lunch program. will follow. The

program is sponsored by Wellcare and will feature

a special performance by Bob Mel. Plan on signing

up for the special lunch after enjoying refreshments

and entertainment.

REBUILDING TOGETHEREvery year Rebuilding Together New Britain assists

low income New Britain homeowners with home

repairs that they are unable to take care of on their

own, due to physical and/or nancial limitations.

These repairs are done by community volunteers free

of charge for eligible, selected homeowners. Tasks

range from yard work and general cleaning, to paint-

ing, light carpentry, electrical and plumbing jobs,

as well as installation of grab bars and other simple

modications designed to allow seniors to age safely

in place.

If you would like to apply to be considered for as-

sistance, please contact our ofce today at 860-832-

4389. If you would like more information or have

any questions, please do not hesitate to call.

WII BOWLING LEAGUELots of fun, excitement and enjoyment. The New

Britain Senior Centers Wii Bowling League will

commence the spring season on Tuesdays 12:30

p.m., March 20th and run for 14 weeks.

MOVIE FOR MARCHThursday, March 15th; 12:30 p.m.

Shenandoah [Western] (1965) Color / 106 min. /

NR: will be featured here at the Senior Center. Adramatic story of a man caught in a dilemma. James

Stewart stars as a Virginia farmer during the Civil

War. He refuses to support the Confederacy because

he is opposed to slavery yet he will not support the

Union because he is deeply opposed to war. When

his son is taken prisoner, he goes to search for the

boy. Seeing the horrors of war he is at last forced to

take a stand.

New Britain Senior Center

Michael Karwan, Director

55 Pearl StNew Britain, CT 06051

Phone: 860-826-3553


10/16


CROSSWORD

HOROSCOPE BY OZZY

Aries (March 21- April 19): A friend

might ask for a big favor this week . Offer

your helpit will pay off in the near future.

Recharge yourself in an outdoor setting.

Taurus (April 20- May 20): This week

will bring some positive energy in your

love life. Learn to take things slowly and

you will see a positive outcome if you let

go of your old ways and habits.

Gemini (May 21- June 21): Your men-

tal energy will be scattered everywhere

this week. Try to concentrate on whatis the most important goal in your life .

Consider taking a quiet walk in the park.

Cancer (June 22- July 22):You will meet

someone in a unusual setting this week .

This person can greatly improve your cur-

rent situation. Make sure you look your

best.even at the supermarket!

Leo (July 23 -August 22): This is a

good week to take some time off to relax

a little. You have been working hard and

need time to recharge yourself. Dont

feel guilty about it.

Virgo (August 23- September 22): You

may feel you are not making progress or

are in a rut lately. This is temporary. Just

slow down and you will clearly see your

next move.

Libra (September 23- October 22):

Listen closely to ofce gossip this week.You will learn an important piece of in-

formation. Look at the big picture in the

end.

Scorpio (October 23- November 21):

This is a great time to work on a creative

project. A lot of letters and e- mails will

be coming this week. Take time to pro-

cess this information.

Sagittarius (November 22- December

21): You may be pulled in several dif-

ferent directions this week. It might be

a good time to create a priority list. You

will win the support of others.

Capricorn (December 22- January

19): A long standing wish may come true

this week. Youre in the mood for some

adventure, physical and romantic. Have

a great time!

Aquarius (January 20- February 18):

There could be some big changes in yourliving situation this week.Let your heart

guide your head when deciding what di-

rection to take. Simplify your life.

Pisces (February 19- March 20): New

opportunities are heading your way. You

might need to take a little breather to

grasp what is happening. Dont ght the

feelingwork through them instead.

18

2

7 11

15

8

3

9 5

13

4

17

1 12

6

14 16

10

19

ACROSS:

1. Ship Captain3. Sunset Opposite

4. South American

Country

5. Benny and the Jets

Singer

6. Malloys Position

9. Rough Rider President

10. Lone Star State

14. Lincoln Assassin

15. Witches of_______

16. Oak Seed

17. Treaty

19. Type of Hound

New Britain

Streets

Down:

2. White House Location4. Peanut Scientist

6. Orange Growing Site

7. Oyster Product

8. Joyous

11. WWII General

12. English Motorcycle

13. $20 President

16. NY State Capital

18. Revolutionary War

Site


11/16


TECHNOLOGY

What Ya Gonna Do When 3G Comes For Youby Nicholas Gwiazda

AT&T announced on Monday that it will

phase out its 2G network in favor of its

3G and 4G network, in the same way that

analog television was phased out in fa-

vor of digital television. In fact, 2G cell

phones are referred to as analog, while

3G and 4G smartphones are referred to

as digital.

HOW ALL OF THE GS WORK:

-2G coverage is only capable of voice

and text coverage.

-3G is capable of providing voice, text,and internet coverage at the same time.3G

therefore renders 2G coverage obsolete.

-4G only handles internet. It is used sole-

ly for mobile Internet tasks that require

more data at faster rates.

AT&T customers with phones that do not

have Internet will eventually be unableto receive calls or send texts because 2G

will cease to exist. Fortunately, AT&T is

offering free upgrades to 3G phones.

3G is the core of future cell phone use.

Once 2G is history, cell phone owners

will be forced to own smartphones with

Internet access built in. So, if youve

never owned a smartphone before, whatare you in for?

For one, prepare to own a phone that

drains its battery much faster than youre

used to. It seems that everybody who

owns a smartphone has a tough time

managing battery life. It is a well-known

fact that Internet use on a mobile phone

eats up battery life quickly.

To make matters worse, 4G Internet use

consumes more power faster than 3G be-

cause it forces the phone to use a broad-

er range of wireless spectrum. So what

should you do, and what phone should

you get?

If you decide to make the switch to a new

3G or 4G equipped smartphone, here is

a list of the top phones from each car-

rier with the best battery life [based on

continuous web surng over 3G/4G on

40-percent brightness]:

1. Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx: The

RAZR Maxx boasts a breath-taking 8hours and 25 minutes of battery life be-

fore it needs a charge. (Verizon; 4G)

2. Samsung Galaxy SII: The Galaxy SII

comes in close second with 7 hours and

43 minutes of battery life before needing

a charge. Unfortunately, its not avail-

able through Verizon. (AT&T, Sprint;

4G)

3. T-Mobile Sidekick 4G: The Side-

kick 4G lasts 7 hours and 32 minutes be-

fore it needs a charge, and is available

for both postpaid and pre-paid custom-

ers. (T-Mobile; 4G)

4. Apple iPhone 4S: The iPhone 4S

boasts battery life of 7 hours and 27 min-

utes before needing a charge. Its perfect

for the smartphone user that enjoys a mix

of aesthetics and ease of use, but it is not

yet available in 4G. (Verizon, AT&T,Sprint; 3G)

Central Registration will be staffed throughoutthe summer.

ELL/ESOL assessments and IEPs completedon site.

Translators available.

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Central Registration

Families will now register for elementary or

middle school at Central Registration, locatedat Louis P. Slade Middle School, 183 Steele

St.

No need to go to your neighborhood schoolto register!

New Britains New Wayto Register for School!

Kindergarten Registration Starts March 9

Grades 1-8 Registration Starts April 2


12/16


HUMOR

The Battle of Liquoron Sunday

By Mike Ostroski

Staff Writer

This a weird state. If you go to any other

state in the country and ask somebody,

Wheres the nearest package store?

nobody will know what you are talking

about. I go to the liquor store to buy al-

cohol, not packages. I see little seventy-

eight year old ladies buying vodka and

slipping it into their purses. I see ciga-

rettes and lottery tickets being sold but I

never hear anybody asking to buy a pack-

age. Ive seen what loosely can be called

packages being sold by some cashiersbut these usually get them in trouble with

the police sooner or later.

When I initially heard about liquor stores

maybe being able to stay open on Sun-

days, my initial reaction was I was all for

it. The only reason I was for it at the time

was because Id drink everything by Sat-

urday night. If you are broke on Sundayyou cant take your returnables to your

local bar. Then I got to thinking Its Sun-

day and I have a hangover but so what? I

think Ill use Sundays as the one day Ill

hydrate myself with something besides

alcohol. Perhaps Sundays without booze

could add years to my lifestyle. The only

drawback is if I still have money on Sun-

days Id go to the bar and then the localbootlegger after the bar closed.

It wasnt until I talked to the owner of a

small liquor store about the possible Sun-

day openings that I nally got a grasp on

things.

MIke: So what youre saying is that if

you are allowed to open on Sundays you

could lose your business?

Owner: Yes. What will happen is bigchain liquor stores will lower there prices

on certain items that will make small li-

quor stores lose any prots whatsoever.

Mike: Now that just burns me up. As you

know, I dont have a car so I cant walk

very far. The booze and cigarettes make

me huff and puff and Ive really got to

pace myself.

Owner: Ha, Ha. So what are the poor

fools that suffer from cirrhosis of the liv-

er, emphysema or delirium tremors go-

ing to do when the nearest liquor store is

way across town.

Mike: Oh believe me the will make itthere. Kinda of like a slow procession of

zombies.

Owner: But Ill be out of business!

Mike: Ah, Dont worry about it. Im a

professional journalist after all. Ill write

a column about it in the Hardware City

Journal.

Owner: Thats great. Now you owe me

fty-six dollars and twenty-one cents.

Mike: How about if I write my column

and give you ten dollars?

Owner: Either pay up or get out.

Mike: Alright,alright. Hey, does my

skin look yellow to you.

Owner: No, you look ne. See ya later.

Mike: Maybe in a couple of hours.

Owner: Ha, Ha.

So dear readers my take on the wholething is that the corrupt,corrupt. My

life wont change if liquor stores in Con-

necticut are able to open on Sundays, The

state will still make money on alcohol,

cigarettes, little old ladies, small busi-

ness owners and you and I. And thats

nothing new.

Stay loose my friends.

STAFF MEMO: Mr Ostroski dropped

off his column and mumbled something

about getting home so he could watch

his favorite TV program The Walking

Dead. His skin looked a little yellow,he

coughed a lot and left saying something

about the deadline for his next column.


13/16


HARDWARE CITY LAW

I am a little embarrassed to share my husbands quirky habit.

To let off steam, he likes to sit in our car to drink beer and lis-ten to music. My friends tell me he can be arrested for drunk

driving. How is that possible?

Stacey

Dear Stacey,

Although great strides have been made by groups like M.A.D.D.,

drunk driving continues to be a problem in Connecticut. As a

result laws governing drunk driving have become increasingly

stricter. You are correct. There are some scenarios where it is

actually possible to get arrested for DUI simply for sitting in

your car. If your keys are in the ignition and your blood alco-

hol content is over .08, you can be arrested for driving under

the inuence. If a person is sitting behind the wheel of a car

with the keys in the ignition, it is reasonable to assume that the

person can and will drive the car in the immediate future. Whenpolice or other witnesses have seen this person acting as if they

were under the inuence, police have the right to stop this per-

son from driving. Under the meaning of Connecticut statutes,

a person operates a motor vehicle when he or she intentionally

does any act or makes use of any mechanical or electrical agen-

cy which can set in motion the motive power of your vehicle.

The court reasons that once you stick your keys in the ignition,

you have taken a signicant step to get your car going. In a

famous 2005 case, an intoxicated Andover man started his carwith a remote and then sat in the drivers seat. It did not matter

that he did not move the car. He was still convicted.

Attorney Adrian Baron is a partner in the law rm of Podor-

owsky Thompson & Baron. A nationally recognized award

winning legal writer, Attorney Baron was recently named to the

2012 Superlawyer New England Rising Star list, a distinction

given to only 2.5 attorneys in the state. His unique background

includes work as an aide for Robert F. Kennedy Jr and as chairof the Ethics Commission for the City of New Britain. The

preceding column is provided for informational purposes only.

Always consult with an attorney before proceeding. For more

information, please visit him on the web at hardwarecitylaw.

com or contact him directly at [email protected]. Podor-

owsky Thompson & Baron is located at 202 Broad Street, New

Britain.ALL WORK PERSONALLY DONE

BY AL & PETE

PERSONALIZED PICK-UP ANDDELIVERY SERVICE

220 Broad Street

New Britain, CT 06053

860-223-4000ptblegal.com

Since 1940, Podorowsky, Thompson & Baron has represented both individual andcorporate clients throughout the state of Connecticut. Applying rigorous energy,resourcefulness and experience to every project we accept, our members are dedi-cated to the success of your case.

Areas of Practice: Criminal Defense Personal Injury

Family Law Workers Compensations Real Estate Closings

Immigration Will Preparation

24 Hour Emergency Arrest Line

1-888-50LAWHELP02


14/16


Mayor OBrien Appoints Five

to Fire CommissionMayor Timothy OBrien has announced

his appointments to the new Fire Com-

mission. The Fire Commissioner will be

serving a two year term and will play

an integral role as the city moves for-

ward with the process of hiring the next

re chief. Chief Marc Carr recently an-

nounced he would be retiring, effectiveMarch 24

Mayor OBrien will be naming an acting

chief in the next couple of weeks and ex-

pects to then name the new chief by early

summer. Mayor OBrien stated that we

would be hiring from within the depart-

ment for the position of acting chief.

The mayor expects to be meeting with

the candidates for the acting re chief

position in the next week. Tom Ronalter

and David Fiori currently serve as Depu-

ty Fire Chiefs.

I will be relying on the insight and rec-

ommendations of the new commissionwhen picking the next chief, the mayor

said. Previously, there had been a strenu-

ous relationship between the re union

and the previous administration.

I will be looking for a candidate that can

continue the progress and efforts of Chief

Carr in improving these relationships

and continuing the progress to improvethe quality of training and equipment the

reghters receive, OBrien concluded.

Mayor OBriens Appointments:

Mr. Michael A. Carrier (D) Chair

Julie Swan (R)

Carmelo Rodriguez (R)

Lori Rocha (D)

Monica Hermanowski-DeFronzo (D)

The Hardware City Journal is

available for FREE at over 100 lo-

cations. Here are a few places you

can nd it (sorted by street).

House of Kebob, Belvedere Plaza

Corner Market, Broad & Silver

Compare Foods, Broad StInternational Hair Salon, Broad St

Karls Barber Shop, Broad St

LaRosas Bakery, Broad St

Starapolska, Broad St

The New England Shop, Broad St

Story Brothers, Burritt St

Star Food Market, Chaplin & Jubilee

Corner Store, Church & East

La Quinta Inn, Columbus Blvd

Leons Liquors, Columbus Blvd

Shell Gas, Columbus Blvd

Averys Soda, Corbin Ave

Corbin Ave Shell, Corbin Ave

New Britain Diner, Corbin Ave

5 Degrees Barber Shop, Dwight St

East Side Restaurant, Dwight St

Maria Food Store, Dwight St

Dairy Store, East & Bingham

Angelicos, East Main

Papas Dodge, East Main

Papas Used Cars, East Main

Captain Als, East St

Central Pkg Store, East St

Dawg House, East St

In & Out, East St

Paradise Restaurant, East St

CCSU Student Center, Ella Grasso Blvd

Catanzaros Meat, Farmington Ave

Gulf Station, Farmington Ave

Mobil Gas, Farmington Ave

Sams Store, Farmington Ave

A&P Wine, Fenn Rd Ngtn

Bellas Pizza, Fenn Rd Ngtn

Fenn Rd Mobil, Fenn Rd NgtnJade Lee, Fenn Rd Ngtn

My Storage Space, Fenn Rd Ngtn

Nails Nobles, Fenn Rd Ngtn

Spin Cycle, Fenn Rd Ngtn

Stop & Shop, Fenn Rd Ngtn

YWCA, Glen St

NB General Hospital, Grand St

A1 Sunoco, Hartford Rd

Borders Books, Hartford Rd

NB Public Library, High St

NB Youth Museum, High St

YMCA, High St

Valero Gas, Kelsey st. Newington

New Britain Museum of American Art,

Lexington St

Amatos, Main St

Capitol Lunch, Main St

Chengs Chinese Restaurant, Main St

City Luggage, Main St

Sir Speedy, Main St

Vitos Restaurant, Main St

Mobil Gas, Mill St, Berlin

Super Buffet, Myrtle StKens Cards, New Britain Ave, Berlin

Mojo Beauty Parlor, New Britain Ave, Ngtn

Shell Gas, New Britain Ave, Ngtn

Eagle Credit Union, New Britain Ave, Plnvl

Laundromat, Newbrite Plaza

Automotive Connection, Newington

Giovanni Bakery, Newington

Le Mar Salon, Newington

Michael Angelos Rest, Newington

Public Market, Newington

Twin City Laundry, Newington

Veggie World, Newington

Town Line Pizza, Newington Ave

Express Food Mart, North St

Mad Max, Oak St

Ponce Supermarket, Osgood

Senior Center, New Britain, Pearl St

Stop & Save Mkt, Shuttle Meadow

7/11 Seven Eleven, South Main

NB Market, South Main

Pizza Pal, South Main St

Valero Gas, South Main St

CJs Restaurant, South StReCONNstruction, South St

Ace Advance Papers, St. Clair Ave

Corner Deli, Stan & Park

Gulf Express, Stanley & East Main

Getty Mart, Stanley St

Quick & Easy, Stanley St

Renos Bar, Stanley St

Royal Spirits, Stanley St

Underground Deli, Stanley St

Miss Washington Diner, Washington St.

Angelos Deli, West Main

Auto World, West Main

City Hall, West Main

West End Convenience, West Main

Your Store, West Main

Gulf Express, West Main by DMV

Achieve Financial, West Main St

Beacon Pharmacy, West Main St

Downtown District Ofce, West Main St

Liberty Pizza, West Main St

New Britain Laundry, West Main St

TD Bank, West Main St

Goodyear, Whiting StStanley St Market, Whiting & Stanley

On the Go Convenience, Willard & Robbins,

Ngtn

Meetings

MONDAY-MARCH 12, 2012Parks & Rec. (Testing) Room 504 3:30-5:00Piano & Voice Room 210 4:00-6:00Financial Task Force Comm. Room 201 4:30Democratic Town Comm. Room 504 5:30-7:00

TUESDAY- MARCH 13, 2012Corporation Council Room 201 10:30-12:00Board of Finance(Budget Mtg.)Room 201 5:30Piano & Voice Room 210 4:00-6:30Building Comm. Room 202 6:00Fairview Cemetery Comm. Room 305 6:00Republican Town Comm. Room 504 7:00

WEDNESDAY- MARCH 14, 2012Parking Ticket Appeals Room 305 2:00-4:00

Financial Task Force Comm. Room 201 4:30Piano & Voice Room 210 4:00-6:00Storm Disaster Comm. Room 305 6:00-8:00Common Council Chambers 7:00

THURSDAY- MARCH 15, 2012Financial Task Force Comm. Room 201 4:30Piano & Voice Room 210 4:00-6:30

Zoning Board of Appeals Room 201 6:00Consolidated Comm. Chambers 7:00

FRIDAY- MARCH 16, 2012Parks & Rec. Room 305 7:30-3:30


15/16


YOUVE EARNED IT.WE CAN HELP YOU

PROTECT IT.At Allstate, we know youve worked hard to get to where you are. Thats why we

want to help you protect whats important to you. We offer a variety of insu rance

products you can choose from to help meet your needs.

Auto insurance

Life insurance

Renters insurance

Identity restoration coverage

Personal umbrella policy

Motorcycle insurance

Boat insurance

Business insurance

Insurance subject to terms, availability and qualifications. Discounts subject to availability and qualifications. Availability from companies shown varies by state. Qualifications mayapply. Ask for details.

Allstate Life Insurance Company: Northbrook, IL, and Lincoln Benefit Life Company: Lincoln, NE. In New York, Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York: Hauppauge, NY. Securitiesoffered by Personal Financial Representatives through Allstate Financial Services, LLC LSA Securities in LA and PA. Registered Broker-Dealer. Member NASD, SIPC. Main Office: 2920South 84th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506. (8067) 525-5727.

Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Company, Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company, and Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company: Northbrook, IL.Allstate Country Mutual Insurance Company: Irving, TX. Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company: Bridgewater, NJ.

2007 Allstate Insurance Company. allstate.com 06/07

Proud sponsor of our local youth athletics

(860) 829 0319

DENISE PAQUETTE1463 BERLIN [email protected] Mowie Po Polsku

Acme Appliance296 Arch St, New Britain

860-223-4555

Ace Appliance69 West Main St. Plantsville

860-621-5534

We are still

serving all of

New Britain Sales

customers for over

30 years.

Central and Window A/Cs

Air Conditioners Fixed Fast

Good Reconditioned

Appliances

Over 5000sq ft of new and

used parts in stock

Residential & Commercial appliances

serviced daily

Why Wait?

Service it Today!

We FixEm Fast/Emergency Service

SALES SERVICE PARTS

Same Day Service

Take Out Sales Blitz of the Week:

860-849-1148

Small Coffee & Danish

$1.50

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Every Day this Week

Dollar Burgers &

Dontfor

get

thebest

Pancakes

in

Town!

AMATOSToy and Hobby

Spring Excitement

Huge Selection of Kites, Radio Control Cars,

Planes, Helicopters, & Boats

Bring in this ad for an extra $5.00 off any

purchase of $35.00 or more. Limit 1 couponper purchase. Cannot be

combined with ny other

offer.

Check out our candy-free

Easter baskets!

283 Main Street, New Britain, CT 860-229-9069


16/16


111068

311 Oak Street, New Britain, CT 06053Monday -Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

860.832.9645

(MOST CARS)

RADIATOR SPECIAL

$

2399$

2399

$9900$9900FLUSHAND FILLCHECK ENGINE

LIGHT ON?WE CAN HELP

OIL CHANGE

BRAKE SPECIALIncludes newpads, refinish,2 rotors (mostcars) + sales tax

$14900$14900per axle

11

ADVERTISEwith

Contact

Best advertising rates in the city

Expand your customer base

Promote your specials

Increase visibility

Weekly, monthly, annual rates available

Classifeds also welcome

860-637-6806hardwarecity [email protected]

Drezek PropertiesApartment Rentals available in New Britain

One, Two, and Three Bedroom Units

Broad Street Area

References Required

Telephone 860-223-0311Fax 860-224-9672

The ReCONNstruction Center makes Re-Use Charitable.

The ReCONNstruction Center230 South Street New Britain, CT860.597.3390 www.ReCONNstructionCenter.org

Looking for GREAT DEALS on

building materials?

The ReCONNstruction Center is a non-prot GreenCharitable organization, working to save the environmentwhile offering used, surplus and antique building materialsat below market prices. You can nd great deals on kitchencabinets, vanities, counter tops, doors, sliders, windows,hardware, lighting and plumbing xtures, lumber, tile andmore! Treasure hunt for that antique or classic gem.

731 Newington Ave

Hardware City Journal - Vol. 3 No. 2 - March 9, 2012

Documents

Transcript of Hardware City Journal - Vol. 3 No. 2 - March 9, 2012