New signs on Route 195 posted to attract potential tenants for Storrs Center development

Two leasing signs for Storrs Center have been installed on Storrs Road (Route 195), bringing attention to the project site.

One sign is located in the approximate area of the future Market Square (across from the Town Hall) and one is now up near the future Town Square (across from the University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts).

The developer envisions these as key mixed-use areas for retail and commercial businesses, as well as residential units.

The new signs are meant to attract the interest of retailers, businesses and restaurants – with contact information for the Storrs Center leasing team, which includes the real estate company of Cushman & Wakefield, and retail and commercial marketing consultants Live Work Learn Play.

Questions and comments concerning the Storrs Center project may be sent to the Mansfield Downtown Partnership at P.O. Box 513, Mansfield, CT 062268 or e-mailed to mdp@mansfieldct.org More information also is available at this link.

for more details:

http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/02162009_news_signs_for_storrs_center.html

New Torah Scroll commissioned by Chabad Jewish Center in Glastonbury

[SinglePic not found]The time-honored ritual of the writing of a Torah scroll involves many detailed customs and rites.

It’s not often that you get to see history being written before your very eyes. But that is exactly what is happening right now. The Chabad Jewish Center in Glastonbury has undertaken the writing of a brand new Torah scroll.

This new Torah has been commissioned in memory of Mark Tsvok, who passed away tragically at the age of 15. Its primary sponsor is Mark’s father, Ilya.

The writing of a Kosher Torah scroll is a thorough and exhaustive exercise.

The time-honored ritual of the writing of a Torah scroll involves many detailed customs and rites, from the material used – authentic parchment, natural ink and a special quill, to the color and style of the biblical font, to the manner in which a Torah is written – copied word-for-word from a previously written scroll, to the credentials of the Scribe.

As part of the process, the Scribe – a trained and experienced writer of scrolls in the ancient tradition – will present workshops at many area schools.

The Scribe’s Torah-writing workshops are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, Feb. 24: 9 a.m. – Lubavitch Yeshiva Academy, 1148 Converse St., Springfield, MA; 10:30 a.m. – Hebrew High School of New England, 1244 North Main St., West Hartford; 12:30 p.m. – Solomon Schechter Day School, 26 Buena Vista Road, West Hartford; 4 p.m. – Chabad Hebrew School, 141 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury

Wednesday, Feb. 25: 9:30 a.m. – Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford, 53 Gabb Road, Bloomfield; 11:45 a.m. – Aleph Bet Preschool, 25 Harris St., Glastonbury; 2:30 p.m. – Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford, 53 Gabb Road, Bloomfield; 4 p.m. – Jewish Enrichment Program, 25 Harris St., Glastonbury

To schedule a visit to one of these workshops, or for more information regarding the writing of this special Torah, please call Rabbi Yosef Wolvovsky at (860) 659-2422. The Rabbi may also be reached by email at JewishLearning@snet.net

For more details:

http://mansfield.htnp.com/areawide/02162009_new_torah_mark_tsvok.html

Council looking for more information before deciding on fees for rescue services

It’s estimated that the department could collect fees totaling $15,000 to $30,000.

A request for a “rescue services revenue recovery program” submitted by Fire Chief David Dagon may be back in front of the Mansfield Town Council at its Monday, Feb. 23 meeting.

The Town Council tabled action on the request at its Jan. 26, 2009 meeting, and asked Town Manager Matt Hart and Chief Dagon to provide more information.

Specifically, Council members had questions about -

• the process for billing insurance companies,

• current collection rates,

• whether the fee waiver ordinance could be changed to include these services,

• the number of calls that involve non-residents,

• the role of the Council in monitoring the policy,

• and whether or not this program would change the overall expenditures of the Fire Department

According to Chief Dagon, the goal of the “rescue services revenue recovery program” is to offset some of the department’s operating expenses, such as replacing materials, testing equipment, specialized training and administrative support.

It’s estimated that the department could collect fees totaling $15,000 to $30,000.

Chief Dagon met with Certified Ambulance Group and determined that the company could handle the new billing, if it is approved.

The kinds of services that would be billed include:

• Light duty rescue – any rescue using personnel and equipment to secure and protect an emergency location – involving the use of hand tools, absorbent materials, reflective materials and combustible-warning materials – for a fee ranging from $300 to $400

• Heavy duty rescue – same as above but also using hydraulic, pneumatic or gas-powered tools to free a trapped victim – for a fee of $500 to $700

• Technical rescue – including but not limited to confined space, vertical, trench or search and rescue emergencies – for a fee ranging from $800 to $1,000

The fees, as recommended by CAG, would be affected by considerations such as the complexity of the operation, time on the scene, number of personnel deployed and the kind of equipment that is used.

There are three fire stations in town – Station 307 at 999 Storrs Road (on Route 195 near Spring Hill), the Eagleville Station 107 on Route 32 (near the intersection with Route 275), and Station 207 at 1722 Storrs Road (Route 195, just north of the intersection at Route 44).

for more details:

http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/02162009_fees_for_rescue_services.html