NU plans Mansfield meeting on $251M transmission project

Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Center.

Northeast Utilities, in collaboration with National Grid, is planning four power transmission projects that are intended to strengthen the reliability of the power grid in New England. The projects will be constructed in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Connecticut Light & Power, a NU company, will hold an information session on the local impact of the Connecticut project, known as the Interstate Reliability Project. It will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in the Mansfield Community Center.

The session will be presented as an “open house,” during which residents can examine documents and speak directly with CL&P representatives.

In Eastern Connecticut, the primary route would be located on an existing right-of-way between substations in Lebanon and Killingly, and continue to the Rhode Island border.

The “preferred route proposal” for this project adds a new set of overhead power lines within or immediately adjacent to existing lines that pass through southern Mansfield. Some tree removal will be necessary and some of the proposed support structures will be taller than existing structures.

An open house on this project also is planned for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at Eastern Connecticut State University, in the Betty Tipton conference room in the Student Center.

The preliminary cost estimate for the Connecticut segment of the project is $251 million, and construction is expected to begin in late 2010.

National Grid will construct the parts of the project located in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The Oct. 22 open house fulfills the requirement to hold a public comment period before NU submits a formal application to the Connecticut Siting Council, anticipated to be in December 2008, after which additional hearings will be scheduled.

Open house meetings are being held for Mansfield and 11 other municipalities: Brooklyn, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Pomfret, Putnam, Thompson and Windham.

The Sept. 30 open house is for the towns of Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Lebanon and Windham.

A Nov. 5 open house is planned for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wedneday, Nov. 5 at Ellis Tech High School, 613 Upper Maple St. in Danielson for the towns of Killingly, Putnam and Thompson.

A meeting was held on Sept. 24 for the towns of Brooklyn, Hampton and Pomfret.

The project does not require local permits or approval by the affected towns’ governing bodies.

NU’s Web site states that the Interstate Reliability Project is one of four major transmission projects that are part of the New England East-West Solution (NEEWS).

It is a proposed 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that will strengthen the interstate transfer of electricity across Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

NU’s Web site states that the project also includes “upgrades to substations and improvements to the region’s 115-kV electric system [ including CL&P’s substations in Lebanon and Killingly]… improving its efficiency and eliminating potentially crippling and costly bottlenecks.”

NU explains that “reliability” means that the grid “is able to deliver electricity where it is needed on the hottest and coldest days of the year – even if one or more power plants or segments of transmission line are not operating.”

Copies of a document describing the proposal – the “Municipal Consultation Filing” – are available for review in the town’s Planning Office and at the Mansfield Library.

More detailed information on how town leaders and other members of the public have input into the application process is available at this link.

You also may speak with CL&P representatives during office hours at 1-866-996-3397.

Or call the Mansfield Planning Office at 429-3330.

For more information: http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/http_mansfield_htnp_com_

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Homeschooling: Greetings from a very 'green' Switzerland!

The buses are electric, there are separate travel lanes for them, as well as for bicycles.

[Editor's note: TheHartunian-Alumbaugh family is traveling in Europe as part of a work-related trip for Jon, Ruth's husband and Rosie and Jonathan's dad. See the previous column, "Ease on down the road," for more details.]

Hello readers… we are in Switzerland, so our travels have hindered our keeping in touch with you but let me describe a little of what we have seen, so far.

It’s easy being green here

You would be amazed to see how “green” Switzerland is. There are recyclables receptacles all over the place. They even look nice, too! The packaging for their food is also recyclable, so there is less waste.

They even have a small button to push for a small toilet flush and a big button to push for a bigger flush, if needed.

Public transportation runs all week long, including weekends… the buses are electric and there are separate travel lanes for them, as well as for bicycles.

People walk a lot, so the city is very exercise-friendly It seems no wonder that as you see elderly people out riding their bikes – as well as people going to and fro – that they look like they are in good physical condition, even after eating lots of cheese, breads, and meats for many a meal.

The Scenery is green, too

Not only is there a great recycling movement here, but the scenery is enough to steal your breath away. I feel like we are driving in a picture postcard all the time.

I love the sound of the cow bells ringing as the creatures go up and down the steep hills. The air is fresh and crisp. If people smoke, they are outside.

Buildings merge into the landscape to provide a natural beauty that is not seen where we live in the U.S. And just when you thought the Alp scene that you just saw is the most magnificent, another appears in even greater splendor.

The waters look so clean and pristine.

Boat rides on Lake Constance were quite a highlight during our trip, as was a cable car ride to the top of a mountain.

Wherever I look, I see the Hand of the Creator in plain sight.

A little less green

As we spent time in Milan, we observed more chaos and excitement wherever we went. But the roof of the Duomo, as well as the Last Supper viewing that we had a chance to see, had to be two highlights for me.

History stood still as I viewed the city from many different angles. The culture, architecture, music, flavors – all blended into a very sensual adventure.

I had a very hard time navigating the car through the city; even the GPS was confusing.

For many reasons, Milan had to be a piece of the puzzle of life that I had been looking for. The styles were lavish and beyond comprehension.

I wondered what people did for a living to be able to afford Prada boots to the tune of 1,500 Euros.

So many young people… so much energy in the city.

I will have to provide more information on this city another time.

I also have hundreds of photos to share but will pick a few for another time, too.

Greener still…

And talk about being “green” in another sense, being a traveler in countries where you don’t know the language can be really challenging.

Thankfully, many English words are similar to what we see around us at the stores, businesses, etc. But the highway signage is overwhelming to me. There is so much of it!

In each country we have been in, we have known people who speak the language, so we are kind of fortunate in that they have helped us negotiate the trains, public transport, customs (differences between sparkling, mineral and still waters, for example), and how to pay a bill at a café or restaurant.

I think I could be happy here…except for the language. I would have to learn another language, for certain.

One more week

I will have a lot more to tell you in the next week or so, but here are a few comments from the kids

Notes from the kids

- Rosie –

I got to get a knife with engraving on it. And I also had fun going on the Alpine slide. I also had fun going to a Mongolian Barbecue restaurant as well as fondue!

- Jonathan -

The alpine slide was really cool and the Mongolian Barbecue (called Han) had the best food. I wish I knew German.

Everyone is friendly and polite even when driving, even on bikes and stuff.

There is a lot of modern art.

You would not believe how many rotaries there are!

All the light switches are different. No two apartments have the same switches. Sometimes it’s confusing.

Even the door handles are different. Once I turned a door handle up, because it was pointing straight down, and the door popped off its hinges. It started to lean toward me and I took the door and put it back on its hinges. I turned the handle back to where it was supposed to be!

For more information: http://mansfield.htnp.com/columns/homeschool/http_mansfield_

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Cash for Clean Energy

Grants range from $250 to $1,600 for projects that help boost enrollment in the CTCleanEnergyOptions program and/or that increase press coverage of this initiative.

The Town of Mansfield is committed to using 20 percent clean renewable energy in our public facilities by the year 2010.

The Mansfield Clean Energy Team, which is made up of Mansfield residents, is helping the town to achieve this goal and – in partnership with the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund – is now offering grants for projects that promote the use of clean energy in Mansfield.

Grants range from $250 to $1,600 for projects that help boost enrollment in the CTCleanEnergyOptions program and/or that increase press coverage of this initiative.

You can learn more about the CTCleanEnergyOptions program by visiting their Web site at www.ctcleanenergyoptions.com or by calling 800-874-9897.

Examples of grant-eligible projects

• Scout troop sign-up campaign for clean energy

• Community corn maze designed to teach visitors about clean energy

• High school teach-in to raise awareness about the importance of clean energy

If you are interested in receiving an application or would like more information about the grants program, call Virginia Walton at 429-3333 or send an e-mail to waltonvd@mansfieldct.org

Proposals must be submitted by December 1, 2008. They will be judged by their creativity and effective outreach to the community.

For more information: http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/mansfield_cash_for_clean.html

Save money on your utility bills

Presenter for the Oct. 29 program is Fred Loxsom, Endowed Chair in the Sustainable Energy Studies program at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Learn what the most practical steps are to reduce energy consumption in your home by attending this program, hosted by the Town of Mansfield, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building, 4 South Eagleville Road.

Presenter Fred Loxsom is Endowed Chair in the Sustainable Energy Studies program at Eastern Connecticut State University.

He will discuss steps to take to reduce drafts, insulate walls and ceilings, repair or replace windows, lessen electrical loads and maximize the effectiveness of your heating and cooling systems.

Please pre-register before Oct. 27 by calling the Mansfield recycling coordinator Virginia Walton at 429-3333 during office hours.

For more information: http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/http_mansfield_hometown

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What to do with all those leaves

Something else to keep in mind during fall cleanup is proper disposal of lawn chemicals – herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers. These materials are considered hazardous waste. They should not go into the trash.

All those leaves that will be falling from the trees in the next few weeks could help green up your lawn, your flower beds or your vegetable garden next spring.

One way is to collect those leaves and bring them to the Town’s transfer station where you add them to a large compost pile, at no charge. The transfer station, which is located off of Route 89 just past Southeast Elementary School, is open Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 pm.

Unlike in urban areas such as Willimantic, the town doesn’t offer leaf collection services. In Mansfield, it’s a self-service arrangement. You dump the leaves yourself. If you’ve collected them in paper bags, you can toss the whole thing into the transfer station leaf pile. If the leaves are in plastic bags, you will have to empty the bags and dispose of the plastic bags in the trash – or reuse them.

The transfer station staff periodically turns the pile and eventually the leaves decompose into finished compost that is available free to town residents. In the spring, it can be added to your flowerbeds or garden soil providing organic matter. It can also be used like other mulch to suppress weeds.

Feed your lawn naturally

Another way to deal with leaves, especially if you don’t have a lot of trees or trees that drop huge amounts of leaves, is to mow over the leaves and leave them on the lawn.

Grass is a plant, and plants need nutrients to stay healthy. By leaving grass clippings and leaves on the lawn, you are feeding nutrients and organic matter to the soil microorganisms. And it is these microorganisms that are essential for healthy soil. Healthy soil is the foundation for healthy grass.

By the way, chemical fertilizers, although packed with fast-acting nutrients, actually deplete the soil of its microorganisms. I digress…..

Although I have trees entirely bordering the lawn areas, I don’t rake. Rather, I mow over the leaves at my house. By mowing over the leaves a few times in the fall, I create small leaf particles that the earthworms and other soil microorganisms can chow down on. And, wow, do they feast, because the broken up leaves really do decompose (disappear) quickly.

Some of you, however, may have A LOT of leaf matter, creating a huge mat of leaves. The majority could be taken up, while allowing some to remain on the lawn to mow over.

Why not make your own compost?

As an alternative to bringing your leaves to the transfer station, if you have the room, create your own leaf pile and/or compost pile. Leaves are high in carbon, so if you add things that are high in nitrogen – such as grass clippings, food scraps, manure (from chickens, rabbits or horses, for example) – you will be providing a balanced diet to the microbes, which will turn the leaves into soil faster. (Yes, it is really all about the microorganisms.) In the spring, there will be some really nice, finished compost that can be used in plantings around the yard or spread around the lawn.

Whatever you do, know that leaves are not accepted in household trash collection. The State and Town mandate them for composting.

Responsible disposal of chemicals

Something else to keep in mind during fall cleanup is proper disposal of lawn chemicals – herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers. These materials are considered hazardous waste. They should not go into the trash.

Instead, bring them to the regional hazardous waste facility, which is located next to Willington’s transfer station, on Hancock Road off of Route 320. It is 5 miles from the Four Corners intersection. What is called the Mid-NEROC Chemical Waste Drop-off Facility is open only on three more Saturdays before it closes for the winter: Oct. 4, 18, and Nov. 1. The facility is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you have questions, please call me during the Town Hall hours at 429-3333 - Mondays through Wednesdays, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursdays 8:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Fridays 8 a.m. to noon.

Comments on this or any other item published in Mansfield Today are encouraged. Simply click on the “comment” link at the end of the page. Lengthy comments can be submitted as a Letter to the Editor – sent to brensullivan@yahoo.com – and please include a phone number so that you can be contacted if there’s a question about the submission.

For more information see : http://mansfield.htnp.com/columns/Recycling—V.Walton/34.html

Don't trash this deal

Under the current contract, Mayo charges the town $7.24 per household, while the next lowest bid was $10.35 per household.

The town has a pretty sweet deal with its refuse collector, one that Public Works Director Lon Hultgren was not willing to risk losing by putting this service out to bid.

The Town Manager asked the Town Council this week to waive the bid process and authorize renewing for two years the town’s contract with the Columbia-based FW Mayo & Sons refuse collection company.

Councilmen Gene Nesbitt objected, and said he was uncomfortable with “giving up” the bid process, but Hultgren said that the town now has a better deal than it could hope for in a bid process, given the impact of rising diesel fuel costs.

And because the town has a complicated collection process, not many waste collection businesses want to deal with it, he said.

Mayo & Sons’ bill will be about 4 percent higher than originally contracted for in 2006 – that contract included a 6 percent cost of living adjustment and the option of two-year renewals – but even a 10 percent increase is much lower than could be expected from competitors, Hultgren said.

Under the current contract, Mayo & Sons charges the town $7.24 per household for collecting trash and recyclables at single-family residences, while the next lowest bid was $10.35 per household.

Hultgren warned that if the job went out to bid, Mayo & Sons could jump its bid to $9 per household knowing that the company would still be outbidding its competitors.

Hultgren added that the estimated current increase in fuel costs is 6 percent, so the town is still getting a good price for the service. “We negotiated this – this is not what he [Floyd Mayo] wanted,” Hultgren said.

He also noted that many companies are adding fuel surcharges to their bills and, “they don’t even ask.”

“We’re circumventing that by having this contract,” Hultgren said.

Finance Director Jeff Smith backed Hultgren’s comment that not everyone wants to deal with Mansfield’s multi-tiered service.

“We have a complicated system that everyone in town loves,” Smith said, and then recalled when the town discussed changing from a can-collection to bag-collection service, which would open the door to many more bidders, but residents didn’t want to make that change.

When the town did switch vendors a few years ago, there were so many complaints that the town was forced to end that contract, and lost $50,000 in arbitration, Smith said.

“It was terrible,” he said.

Comments on this or any other story published in Mansfield Today are encouraged. Simply click on the “comment” link at the end of the story. Lengthy comments may be submitted as a Letter to the Editor, sent to brensullivan@yahoo.com

For more information: http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/36.html

'Man-friendly' divorce manual offers advice for keeping it civil

“Most men figure you get divorced, walk in and you’re done. They think it’s like fixing a snow blower: you’ll fix it in an afternoon and it’s over… But it’s a process. It just doesn’t work like that.”

A year and a half after his divorce, Shane Mallory found himself in the hospital awaiting open-heart surgery – and reflecting upon his life, including navigating his way through a divorce without a lot of guidance.

“When I was going through my divorce, there wasn’t anything written for a man… It was mainly for women and children… I don’t think people think this is an issue for men,” he said.

After surgery, with time on his hands and an idea, Mallory decided to do something about this lack, and the result is The Divorce Manual For Men, by S. Perry Mallory.

The 62-page, quarter-inch-thick book is written to be man-friendly.

“I pretty much had it done within that first two to three months, but it was too long,” he said. “No guy is going to read a Harry Potter-length book. I had to go back and shorten it. I wanted to get to the point.”

And get to the point it does, coaching men on everything from how to conduct themselves in court to what to focus on in the contract.

“Most men figure you get divorced, walk in and you’re done. They think it’s like fixing a snow blower; you’ll fix it in the afternoon and it’s over,” he said. “But it’s a process. It just doesn’t work like that.”

Set aside the anger

Mallory, who lives in East Hampton, recalled that during his divorce, he witnessed countless other couples going through exactly what he and his former spouse did, but maybe not as calmly.

Mallory said he saw many men become angry, and this is one of the mistakes men commonly make. “I was relatively calm with mine, but I noticed in court, men would start yelling and screaming… If you get angry – start yelling and screaming – you lose credibility,” he said.

Mallory’s 25-year career writing contracts gave him additional insights for his book. “[My job] is all contracts and what a divorce is, is working out a contract,” he said.

Mallory, 48, was born and raised in greater Rochester, New York and graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is a Licensed Real Estate Broker in New York and has earned the Real Property Administration Designation

His book gives specific suggestions for men – and women – about how to work out the kinds of agreements included in a divorce contract. “Make sure you have in there that you want the kids on your birthday, for example,” he said, so that doesn’t become a topic of contention later.

Parents often don’t think about such things while battling it out in court, he said. So, Mallory includes several pages of these kinds of specifics to consider during a divorce.

In favor of joint custody

He added that he saw a “definite bias” against men in the judicial system when it comes to divorce, and that he is a big advocate of joint custody.

“Unless there’s a reason why you shouldn’t [have custody] – if you’re an unfit parent – then it should be joint legal custody,” he said.

He added, “One of the things that was tough for me was not seeing them every day. But now there’s email, text messaging and cell phones. There’s no reason a father can’t be in constant contact with his kids.”

Though Mallory’s book is written for men, it’s not a put-down of women. “Men should step up to the plate,” he said. “You need to have a home for [the kids]. They need their own space in your home. You need to be a parent.”

Mallory said he hopes his book can serve to keep men – and women – focused on the goal of an amicable parting. Spending $300 an hour for an attorney to fight over a couch just isn’t worth it, he said, and there are many things people can do to prevent the divorce process from deteriorating into petty squabbles.

“I’m hoping men – and women, too – will take the advice and therefore, make better decisions not just for themselves but for their children and their soon-to-be ex. If they follow the book, they’ll be non-emotional, professional, calm and they’ll make better decisions,” he said.

Mallory’s book  is available through the publisher, Publish America and more information is available at www.thedivorcemanualformen.com.

Comments on this or any other story published in Mansfield Today are encouraged.  Simply click on the “comment” link at the end of this story.  Lengthy comments may be submitted as a Letter to the Editor sent to brensullivan@yahoo.com – please include your phone number and other contact information, in case there is a question about your submission.

For more information see: http://mansfield.htnp.com/business_news/41.html

UConn President foregoes $100,000 bonus

Hogan asks funds be used to support programs.

President Michael J. Hogan’s first year at the University of Connecticut was a resounding success, said Board of Trustees Chair Dr. John W. Rowe, at the board’s recent meeting.

Rowe reported that the Board of Trustees unanimously assessed Hogan’s performance as “outstanding.”

Hogan was evaluated informally over the past several months – and formally last week [Sept. 23] – based on the goals set for him when he was hired last year.

Rowe said Hogan’s outstanding performance is worthy of a “substantial” bonus – probably in the range of $100,000.

But Hogan has asked the board to waive the bonus and instead, direct it back to UConn’s budget in areas that will help sustain and advance outstanding graduate and professional programs.

“This in no way diminishes President Hogan’s outstanding performance,” Rowe said. “It is in recognition of the difficult economic environment that currently exists in the state and at UConn that President Hogan asked us to waive the bonus.”

Hogan said he has enjoyed his first year at UConn and has never worked with a board as professional and competent as UConn’s.

“I’m grateful that the board was willing to consider a bonus,” he said, “but I’d like the funds instead to be directed to graduate education.”

Comments on this or any other story published in Mansfield Today are encouraged. Simply click on the “comment” link below. Lengthy comments can be submitted as a Letter to the Editor, sent to brensullivan@yahoo.com

For more information: http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/8.html