Running back Robbie Frey (44) and wide receiver Alex Molina (86) both made the BIG EAST All-Academic Football Team. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

Although this past fall was somewhat disappointing for the UConn football team in conference play - the Huskies finished 5th among the eight teams - Head Coach Randy Edsall’s squad did lead the league in total number of players named to the 2009 BIG EAST All-Academic Football Team.

In all, 16 Connecticut student-athletes maintained the necessary grades to qualify for this recognition, one more than the 15 players from Rutgers named to the all-academic lineup.

UConn Senior wide receiver Marcus Easley. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

To be eligible, a player must have maintained a cumulative grade-point index of at least 3.0 after completing two or more semesters of academic work.

The 16 players, their position and their majors are as follows (with Connecticut hometowns listed in parentheses):

Seniors

• John Apostolakos, tight end, Sports & Leisure/Finance

• Marcus Easley, wide receiver (Stratford), Sports Management

• Brad Kanuch, wide receiver, Sports & Leisure

• Alex LaMagdelaine, offensive guard, English/Economics

• Alex Molina, wide receiver (Waterford), Psychology

Juniors

• Derek Chard, (Burlington), Finance

• Robbie Frey, running back, History

• Alex Kaiser, tight end (Newington), Economics

• Alex Polito, defensive tackle, Communication Sciences

Sophomores

• Harris Agbor, safety, Political Science

• Emmanuel Omokaro, safety (Danbury), Sports & Leisure

• Moe Petrus, center, Psychology

• Dave Teggart, kicker, Sports & Leisure

• John Yurek, safety, Biological Sciences

Freshmen

• Jimmy Bennett, offensive tackle, undeclared major

• Corey Manning, tight end, undeclared major

“We are very proud of all 16 of our selections to the Big East All-Academic Football Team,” Edsall said in a prepared statement last week after the conference announced the names of the student-athletes.

Sophomore safety Emmanuel Omokaro (28) from Danbury excelled in the classroom, as well. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

“Academic achievement, and ultimately graduation, is a key component to being a member of the Connecticut football program.  I would like to say special thanks to the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletes (CPIA) for all the assistance that they provide the young men on our team,” he said.

In addition to Connecticut’s intellectual contingent, 90 other players met the criteria for nomination to this team, according to Big East officials.  Louisville and Syracuse each placed 14, South Florida 13, Cincinnati and West Virginia a dozen each and 10 Pittsburgh players made the team.

For the third time in the past six years, the Big East Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year comes from West Virginia; this year’s selection is Mountaineers middle linebacker Reed Williams, who will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the conference.

Posted Feb. 8, 2010

The Kleen Energy plant under construction in Middletown that was scheduled to be operational by June 2010 but was leveled by an explosion on Feb. 7. Illustration taken from Kleen Energy Web site.

Middletown police say a massive explosion was reported at about 11:30 a.m. at the Kleen Energy plant under construction on River Road.

The impact of the explosion was felt miles away, including in East Haddam/East Hampton, local residents say.

TV news reports are claiming that at least five people have been killed.

A local witness also says the area was leveled by the explosion.

The Hartford Courant reports that a witness said the explosion may be related to a test of the plant’s power generating systems.

Fire and emergency crews from several surrounding towns are now at the scene.

The Kleen Energy plant under construction as seen from across the Connecticut River. No smoke or flames were visible at about 3 p.m. Photo by Jean Maheu for HTNP.com

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

The plant was being built by High Steel Structures, Inc. and was scheduled to be operational in June 2010. [Correction, Feb. 8: High Steel is not the General Contractor, O&G Industries is... High Steel Structures served as a subcontractor supplying some of the large components of steel for the outer shell of part of the building, but did not have a role in erecting the building or in making or testing any of the components of the actual power-generating equipment. Also see comment accompany this story.]

Calls to the general manager/power plant management services and the High Steel Structures Inc. company have not yet been returned.

Update:

As of 5 p.m. not much more is known about the cause of the explosion or the exact number of injured or killed.  It is currently estimated 26 people were injured at the site and at least two people were killed. [As of Feb. 8, officials reported 5 people were killed.]

Spectators who watched emergency crews working at the scene from a safe distance, across the Connecticut River, said they first felt the “shockwave” of the explosion and then listened on police scanners to find out what caused it.

One resident, who asked his name not be published said, “I live down the road and my stepson was looking out the back window and he said he saw a fireball and an explosion. I was in the house and it shook the house and knocked stuff off the shelves.”

Emergency response vehicles along the road leading to the Kleen Energy plant where more than 200 people are reported to have been injured and an unknown number killed. Photo is from across the Connecticut River. Photo taken at about 3 p.m. by Jean Maheu for HTNP.com

“He said he saw the fireball and the shockwave come… and there was smoke to the left of the smokestacks up there. And then it died back, and it turned black… and then the emergency stuff started showing. Everything this side is OK, this side of the river things are OK,” he said.

He added, “I heard they were running a test because they were supposed to come online in June, so they had a crew up there that was running some sort of a test.”

Another resident, Rich Rapp, said the impact of the explosion made it seem his house was collapsing.

“I’m about a mile away from the facility on Freeman Road, the backside of River Road. The impact was incredible, you know. It felt like the side of my house was coming in. And it sounded like a gas explosion, right away,” he said.

Susan Bongiorno who formerly worked for NRG said she was waiting to hear if any of her former co-workers were among those injured at the explosion at Kleen Energy. Photo by Jean Maheu for HTNP.com

“I called my neighbor, Bruce, he’s got a [police] scanner. And he told me the energy plant just let go, they had a big explosion up there,” Rapp said.

A Meriden resident, Lisa Halpin, said the reverberations from the blast also were felt in her neighborhood.

“I live in Meriden and I felt the explosion. I thought there was something wrong in the basement of my house. Stuff was shaking. I actually turned on my scanner and found out it was out here,” she said.

“My next door neighbor’s daughter was driving down the street, and she and the person driving with her even felt it as they were going down the road in their car. They didn’t know what it was,” Halpin said.

Another onlooker said she was trying to find out what happened from a former co-worker at NRG, and that other co-workers may have been at the Kleen Energy plant working at the time of the explosion.

“I was laid off a year ago January, and others were as well, from NRG and a lot of the guys came over here,” said Susan Bongiorno. “I just called one of the guys I worked with who is still with NRG to see if he heard anything – he’s going to make a few phone calls, he’s in Massachusetts.”

She added, “there was a lot of controversy when this plant was first going up, I don’t know much about it - it was political - but when we heard there were going to be some layoffs [at NRG] several of the people who worked with NRG contemplated coming here.”

“This is just God awful,” she said.

UPDATE:

At 5:30 p.m., Middletown Mayor Sebastian Guiliano said search and rescue efforts are underway for workers who may have been trapped when a gas explosion caused a major wall to collapse.

He confirmed that at least two people have died. While news reports have estimated more than 200 were injured, Guiliano said about 12 people were injured. He also said neighboring homes are not in danger.

He said he is unable to say how many workers were at the plant at the time of the explosion because several contractors were at the site, including O & G Industries, Ducci Electrical Contractors and Keystone Mechanical Electrical, according to the plant’s General Manager Gordon Holk.

The Red Cross also has set up a crisis site at City Hall in Meriden, and families of the workers can call a hotline at 860-347-2577.

Posted 11:57 a.m. Feb. 7, 2010 in East Haddam Today and East Hampton Today - updated at 5 p.m. and at 7:11 p.m.

HTNP.com staff contributed to this story

Related link: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2006/rpt/2006-R-0331.htm

UConn football Coach Randy Edsall announced 20 talented new recruits this week. Photo © by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

A couple of Jones boys - who played their high school football right here in Connecticut - headline an incoming class of 20 recruits who have signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Huskies.

Head coach Randy Edsall made the announcement during a press conference held Jan. 3.

Only two of the 20 student-athletes hail from the Nutmeg State: Byron Jones, a 6-foot defensive back from New Britain who attended St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol; and Tebucky Jones Jr., a 6-foot tall, wide receiver from Farmington who played for New Britain High School (the same school his father attended before matriculating at Syracuse University en route to a nine-year career as an NFL defensive back, six of those with the Patriots.)

Byron Jones. Photo courtesy of UConn Athletic Communications.

Including the Jones boys, a half dozen of the signees are from New England, four come from Florida and two each from New York, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Scott McCummings

Eleven of the student-athletes play defense and nine play offense, including 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback Scott McCummings from Natick, Mass.

According to Edsall, McCummings was named to the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association All-State Team and was chosen by the Boston Globe as a member of the newspaper’s 2009 All-Scholastic Team.

As a senior, McCummings captained his high school team and threw for more than 2,000 yards, and ran for another 1,000 yards as he led his team to the Massachusetts state Division II Super Bowl.

Byron Jones

Byron Jones also helped his team advance to the state playoffs this past fall - he made three receptions for 63 yards in a first-round Class MM game.

Scott McCummings. Photo courtesy of UConn Athletic Communications.

The Connecticut High School Coaches Association selected Byron Jones for a spot on the Class MM All-State Team for his performance in his senior year, which included 51 receptions for 735 yards and eight touchdowns. His versatility was demonstrated by his three interceptions and his ability to return punts and kickoffs.

Tebucky Jones Jr.,

Tebucky Jones was also recognized by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association, and earned a spot on the All-State Class LL First Team. He had 51 receptions for 735 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior year.

The roster

Other signees are: linebacker Joshua Alexander; defensive back Ty-Meer Brown; offensive guard Gus Cruz; receiver Geremy Davis; fullback Reuben Frank; offensive tackle Mark Hansson; defensive end Jonathan Louis; defensive back Taylor Mack; defensive end B.J. McBryde; running back Lyle McCombs.

Tebucky Jones. Photo courtesy of UConn Athletic Communications.

Also, defensive back Andrew Opuku; center Bryan Paull; defensive lineman Angelo Pruitt; linebacker Yawin Smallwood from Worcester; cornerback Gilbert Stlouis; linebacker Brandon Steg; and the biggest player in the group, 6-foot-5, 295-pound offensive tackle Greg McKee from Chicago.

The following student-athletes each signed a Letter of Intent with UConn in 2009 and enrolled for the Spring 2010 semester: quarterback Leon Kinnard and linebacker Michael Osiecki from Seymour.

Donald Brown and Superbowl 2010

Maybe one day five years from now, one of these young men will be asked by reporters gathered for the Super Bowl to recall his memories of National Signing Day, much as former UConn standout and current Colts running back Donald Brown was Wednesday afternoon as his team prepared to play the Saints.

“I remember going down to the high school athletic director’s office [at Red Bank Catholic High School in New Jersey], signing that piece of paper and faxing it up to the guys at UConn. Then I had that burden off me because that was a pretty stressful time, especially when you’re down to signing day. My parents were there, but that was about it. Then I went back to class and it was a normal day,” Brown said.

Posted Feb. 4, 2010

We’ve all heard about toxic BPA in baby bottles, but did you know it is also found in the linings of most canned foods?

Have you thought about what chemicals might be lurking in your cosmetics?

Do you know which cleaning products are safe to use?

Please come for dinner and stay for an informative presentation about toxins found in everyday products and the positive actions we can take to correct the situation.

We will make some of our own ‘green’ products and do letter writing to our leaders to encourage them to act to replace known toxins with safer alternatives.

All are welcome! Questions? Call Susan Eastwood at 860-487-5903.

Posted Feb. 4, 2010

“Tell them you read about it in Mansfield Today!”

Windham’s planning and zoning commission got its first look at Windham Community Memorial Hospital’s plans for a medical office building on Thursday night.

Windham’s planning and zoning commission got its first look at a proposed Windham Community Memorial Hospital medical office building on Jan. 28.

Architects presenting the plan told the commission that if the necessary approvals were attained, they could break ground on the proposed 28,000-square-foot, two-story medical office building as early as this summer.

While hospital officials are planning to construct only one building currently, architects detailed future plans of the hospital, which could include two additional buildings in the same area - north of the upper parking lot on the hospital’s campus. Windham Hospital is located at 112 Mansfield Ave.

The PZC did not take any action on the proposal, as officials were only given a preliminary presentation of a conceptual plan.

Philip Doyle, an architect from LADA PC of Simsbury, offered the commission a timetable.

He said officials are hoping to break ground on the project this summer and that they would come back to the PZC in March with a more detailed plan.

Doyle said a public hearing would be required on the proposal, which could be scheduled in April.

Doyle noted the building would be located on a site at the hospital that has “great access and visibility” along with “tremendous views.”

William Mogensen, an associate with Casle Corp., said there is “pent-up demand” for the medical office building.

He said there aren’t any leases yet for tenants in the building, but based on letters of intent, it appears the building is “substantially committed.”

He said the hospital’s goal is to attract new physicians and it needs a new medical office building to help grow.

“We think this campus will help that a lot,” he said.

Commission members seemed satisfied that the hospital was investing in the community.

“I’m thrilled that the hospital is looking to do an expansion,” PZC member Paula Stahl said, adding that she was glad project planners were considering present and future use of the entire site.

Stahl told the developers she was concerned about parking.

Doyle said the hospital’s current parking lot is full most of the time, but he believes the proposed 150 spaces would be adequate.

“I’m comfortable we have enough parking,” he said.

Stahl said she didn’t think there was an access issue to the building with just one building constructed, but with the two future buildings she said she would be concerned about access.

According to a fact sheet from Windham Hospital, the single building hospital officials unveiled on Thursday would be situated on 2.5 acres of land.

Hospital officials indicated they identified the need and interest in the project both by current hospital staff and affiliated physicians.

They also hope to attract others to house practices and services in an adjacent modern and attractive facility, the hospital said.

Demand will dictate the tenant mix and hospital services at the site but would likely include primary care physicians and specialists, such as surgeons, whose practices require close proximity to the hospital, the hospital said.

Possible services include: pulmonary function testing, oncology services, an expanded sleep studies lab, physical therapy and laboratory services, according to the hospital.

The project is dependent upon regulatory approvals and signed letters of intent from future tenants, the hospital said. Financing and ownership options are being evaluated.

The Casle Corp. has developed projects for Hartford Hospital, MidState Medical Center in Meri-den, the Eastern Connecticut Health Network and Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London.

Posted Feb. 3, 2010

Windham Hospital opened in 1933 and serves people from 19 towns in the region, which include Andover, Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, Hebron, Lebanon, Mansfield, Scotland, Sprague, Tolland, Willington and Windham.

]]> http://mansfield.htnp.com/2010/02/03/windham-hospital-plans-medical-office-building/feed/ http://mansfield.htnp.com/2010/02/03/come-learn-about-census-2010-jobs/ http://mansfield.htnp.com/2010/02/03/come-learn-about-census-2010-jobs/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:50 +0000 Submitted Press Release http://mansfield.htnp.com/?p=8973 Three brief informational meetings have been scheduled by the U.S. Census Bureau for people who may be interested in working for Census 2010 this spring to fill well-paid, part-time, temporary positions as enumerators (Census takers). The dates of the meetings are: Saturday, Feb. 13 at 9:30 a.m. at the Eagleville Fire Department on Stafford Road/Route 32. Thursday, Feb. [...]]]> Three brief informational meetings have been scheduled by the U.S. Census Bureau for people who may be interested in working for Census 2010 this spring to fill well-paid, part-time, temporary positions as enumerators (Census takers).

The dates of the meetings are:

• Saturday, Feb. 13 at 9:30 a.m. at the Eagleville Fire Department on Stafford Road/Route 32.

• Thursday, Feb. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at the Mansfield Community Center on South Eagleville Road/Route 275.

• Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 2:30 p.m. at the Eagleville Fire Department on Stafford Road/Rt 32.

Conducted every 10 years since 1790, the U.S. Census counts everyone, to determine the number of the Members of Congress in each state. The data collected also helps to determine the amount of federal and other public funds for programs in every community.

For more information, please call the Census Bureau toll-free, at (866) 861-2010 [Your Local Census Office is located in Norwich].

Posted Feb. 3, 2010

Editor’s note: For more details, see “Now is the time to apply for Census 2010 jobs” published on Jan. 20, 2010 in Mansfield Today. http://mansfield.htnp.com/2010/01/20/now-is-the-time-to-apply-for-census-2010-jobs/

An estimate to build and extend trails as part of the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership’s goal to transform the Willimantic area into a recreation hub is more than $1 million over budget, a town official said.

The project would connect trails with surrounding towns, with the WWP  purchasing a site that would be the future home of a Willimantic River park.

Windham Town Engineer Joseph Gardner said the estimate from Fuss & O’Neill, the Manchester firm chosen to design the project, shows it would cost roughly $3.1 million to complete.

The trail network would be from Mackey’s to Bridge Street and include fixing a bridge by the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum. It would then extend to Lebanon.

Gardner said the town has $2 million in federal grant funds administered by the state Department of Transportation and a $500,000 match that the town has an agreement from the WWP to pay.

He said in a memo that the construction budget for the project is $1.9 million, but Fuss & O’Neill’s cost estimate came in at more than $3.1 million.

The memo also states that options for scaling the project back include eliminating the bridge near the railroad museum and eliminating landscaping.

He said if the project proceeds to final design and doesn’t get completed, he believes the federal government may require the town to repay the final design fee of $81,500.

But the taxpayer impact could grow, according to Gardner.

“If we proceeded to final design without adequate funds in place and then stopped the project, the federal government may require the town to repay [the federal government's] share of the design fee in the amount of $225,000,” Gardner wrote.

“If we continue with the project and Whitewater fails to meet their commitment then the (taxpayers) would be responsible for up to $500,000 (WWP’s match).”

Gardner added if the town backed out now, the town wouldn’t owe any money.

However, members of the Willimantic Whitewater Partnership Inc.  said the project is on track and disputed Gardner’s figures.

WWP President Dan Mullins said original estimates for the project came in at $2.4 million, but extras - which include paving a driveway between Bridge Street and the railroad museum - inflated the cost.

He said WWP members didn’t want the driveway to the railroad museum paved because it wouldn’t be environmentally sound and wasn’t needed.

Mullins said Gardner was “overstating” the cost of the project, and said the project is a “high priority” for the state Department of Environmental Protection and future federal and state grant funding would be available to cover the costs.

Mullins said Gardner was “throwing out numbers” to make the project look more expensive than it is.

In regard to the WWP’s $500,000 match, Mullins said the partnership received a $125,000 grant from the state DEP to help offset the match.

To make up the remainder, Mullins said once current grant funding is spent, he believes additional grant funding would be appropriated.

State officials echoed Mullins’ sentiments.

“This is a good project,” said Laurie Giannotti, state DEP recreation trails and greenway program coordinator. “It’s a project that everyone wants to see done.”

She said while she couldn’t offer a firm guarantee of future funding for the project, she said it could be funded if money was available.

“This is a high priority project,” she said, adding future funding would be federal funding, administered by the DEP.

In July 2007, the partnership closed on a 3.4-acre parcel slated to be the future site of the Willimantic River park, located at 28 Bridge St. It was purchased for $213,000 from Boland Oil Co. and is on the eastern side of Bridge Street along the Willimantic River.

The Whitewater project would link it with the East Coast Greenway, a series of trails that run from Maine to Florida, with approximately 195 miles in Connecticut.

To donate or get more information about the project, visit www.willimanticwhitewater.org.

Posted Feb. 3, 2010

The public hearing for a proposed Cardio Express fitness center in the East Brook Mall was continued for a second time Monday [Feb. 1] after planning and zoning members met with applicants and mall officials.

According to Commission Chair Rudy Favretti, the hearing was continued to allow more time for abutting property owners to voice concern or support about the proposed fitness center.

Favretti said notices to abutting landowners were sent late and therefore, they may not have been aware of their opportunity to address the commission on Monday.

No members of the public attended the last two public hearings.

The hearing will re-open Feb. 16 at the commission’s next meeting. It will be the last chance for residents to speak about the proposal.

Commission members accepted the special permit application Dec. 22 at their regular meeting.

According to the application, the fitness center would fill the space left vacant by The Hoot - which has relocated across Route 195 next to Staples.

“The existing 9,880-square-foot tenant space, formerly The Hoot, will be converted to a Cardio Express fitness club,” reads the application.

If approved for construction, the fitness club will have strength and cardio equipment, locker rooms, restrooms with showers, tanning rooms and stretching areas.

The application - which includes information from Hartford-based architectural firm Archimage Group - indicates any construction or changes to the space would be entirely within the square footage available.

The facility would be open continuously from 5 a.m. Monday to 9 p.m. Friday.

It would also be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

At peak hours of the club, 40 parking spaces would be needed to maintain operations, but that is “negligible when compared to the amount of parking provided,” the application states.

Additionally, it is estimated sewer usage would be approximately 2,862 gallons a day, which is also minimal compared to the sewer capacity at the mall, states the application.

A plan attached to the application shows there would be a front desk and sitting area to the immediate left of the club’s front entrance.

Three separate workout areas - including the strength area, free-weight area and cardio deck - will take up nearly half of the available unit.

In addition to plans, the application included weekly tallies illustrating how many people visited the Tolland club during three different one-week periods.

If the East Brook Mall location receives comparable numbers, there could be between 4,000 and 6,000 gym visitors every week.

East Brook Mall Manager John Fortier said there is no timeline regarding when the fitness center will open, but he is confident the application will eventually be approved.

According to Fortier, the application is simply to change the use of the space from a retail space to a non-retail center.

In addition to filling an empty storefront in the mall, Fortier said he is looking forward to 24-hour security in the mall where the center will be constructed.

Right now, the mall has cameras and a security system in-place for non-business hours, but if the center is open, there would be security guards in the mall all the time.

“It’s almost a benefit to us to have security there 24 hours a day,” he said, adding he “looks forward” to having the center in the mall.

Posted Feb. 2, 2010

]]> http://mansfield.htnp.com/2010/02/02/pzc-wants-input-on-proposed-fitness-club/feed/ http://mansfield.htnp.com/2010/02/02/76-year-old-man-falls-through-ice/ http://mansfield.htnp.com/2010/02/02/76-year-old-man-falls-through-ice/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:24:06 +0000 Caitlin M. Dineen | Staff Writer http://mansfield.htnp.com/?p=8940 The rescue took 14 minutes from the time the 911 call was placed to when the man was pulled from the water.]]>

Rescue personnel from Mansfield and Coventry fold up the ice sled that was used to save a 76-year-old man who had fallen through the ice on Eagleville Lake on Sunday afternoon. Mansfield Deputy Chief William Jordan said there was less than an inch of ice. Photo by Marie Brennan.

A 76-year-old man is lucky to be alive after plunging into icy water on Sunday afternoon.

Mansfield Fire Department Deputy Chief William Jordan said the man was attempting to ice skate with his wife on Eagleville Lake when he fell into the water.

Eagleville Lake is actually part of the Willimantic River.

The ice was less than an inch thick at the time, said Mansfield Fire Department Deputy Chief William Jordan.

At approximately 3:50 p.m., Jordan and others from the Mansfield Fire Department and South Coventry Fire Department responded to the call.

Jordan said the entire rescue took 14 minutes from the time the 911 call was placed by the man’s wife to when the man was pulled from the water.

The man - who officials declined to name - had been in the water approximately two minutes before 911 rescuers were called, said Jordan.

“Two rescuers in cold water suits went out,” said Jordan. And an “ice sled” - a raft-like device utilized by rescuers in ice emergencies - was used.

The man’s wife was unhurt, but rescuers quickly removed her from the ice to avoid a potential second rescue.

The man began to suffer the early stages of hypothermia at the scene, said Jordan. He was transported to Windham Community Memorial Hospital and then later transported to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford via Life Star, said Jordan.

As of Monday morning, the man was in stable condition, talking and coherent, he said.

Due to the quick response, the man was saved from serious injury or death, said Jordan. “The longer he stayed in there, the hypothermia starts to shut down the body,” said he said.

Jordan said the man’s decision for a late January skate was a “bad judgment call” and that people need to be aware of ice thickness before stepping onto frozen water.

Jordan said the ice was thin Sunday because recent weather temperatures - which had been in the upper 40s - and heavy downpours had led to the ice becoming thin and unsafe. “These are things that need to be taken into consideration,” he said.

And because it is part of the Willimantic River, the Eagleville Lake never truly freezes because water beneath the top ice surface is still moving with the current.

Posted Feb. 2, 2010

Editor’s note: for some good information about staying safe on the ice, see “How to Survive,” posted in Mansfield Today on Jan. 24, 2010.  http://mansfield.htnp.com/2010/01/24/how-to-survive/

The announcement comes the day before Gov. Rell is scheduled to deliver her State of the State address.

“Fiscal responsibility is rooted in common sense,” Gov. Rell said today. “Simply put, state government cannot - and must not - spend what it does not have. The far-reaching and devastating effects of the national recession laid bare areas of our budget process that must be strengthened and improved to ensure that Connecticut can weather this economic downturn.”

“The changes I am proposing would require contributions to the ‘Rainy Day’ fund throughout the fiscal year, based on surplus projections from the Comptroller,” Gov. Rell said.

“I am also proposing legislation that would address the timeliness of bonding,” Gov. Rell said. “Any bonding item that languishes for five years without ever being approved by the state Bond Commission will be automatically dropped from the list of authorized projects. This will ensure that Connecticut borrows [for] only the most urgently needed projects and will restore our credit rating to a robust status.”

Also, “Through an Executive Order, I am establishing a broad-based commission of state and union officials, financial experts and business leaders to remedy the growing debt caused by years of under-funding state employee retirement and health benefit plans,” Gov. Rell said.

She also restated her intent to extend the governor’s authority to alter the state budget.

“I am reiterating my call to give not just this governor but all who will follow me expanded authority to make budget rescissions. The budget process must remain a balanced process among all three branches of government - but there must also be provisions to restore that balance in extreme circumstances, such as those we have experienced over the last two years.”

The proposed “expanded authority” would change the governor’s role in the following ways:

The “Rainy Day” fund

If the state Comptroller projects a budget surplus for the current fiscal year and the Budget Reserve Fund - the “Rainy Day Fund” (RDF) - is less than 10 percent of the General Fund appropriations for the year, then at least half of the surplus must be deposited into the RDF within five days of the Comptroller’s estimate.

Once the RDF reaches 10 percent of the General Fund, any surplus must be deposited into the State Employees Retirement Fund, which is currently under-funded by $9.3 billion - or to pay down debt.

An ‘expiration date’ on bonded projects

Any specific bonding item authorized for funding by general obligation bonds of the state shall expire five years after the effective date of its authorization if no amount has been allocated by the State Bond Commission.

If the commission has allocated any portion of the money during that period, then the entire authorization will proceed unless terminated by law.

Pension and benefit plans

The State Employees Retirement System is currently under-funded by $9.3 billion; the State Employees Post Retirement Health and Life Benefits are $24.6 billion under-funded.

The unfunded liability is considered debt and has negative impact on the state’s position with bond rating agencies.

The Post-Employment Benefits Commission, established by Executive Order, will recommend short- and long-term remedies. It will include representatives from:

* Office of the Treasurer

* Office of the Comptroller

* Office of Policy and Management

* Office of Labor Relations

* State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition

* Certified public accountants and actuaries

* The business community

All appointments are to be made by Feb. 15, 2010. The Commission will deliver its first report to the Governor on or before July 1, 2010.

Governor’s rescission authority

Under existing law, a governor can make rescissions [cuts] when a budget deficit greater than 1 percent of the General Fund exists.

Current rescission authority is limited to up to 3 percent of the total appropriation from any fund or 5 percent of any appropriation.

Gov. Rell proposes that a governor’s rescission authority be increased incrementally:

* Up to 6 percent of the total appropriation from any fund or 10 percent of any appropriation when a deficit of 3 percent or more exists

* Up to 10 percent of the total appropriation from any fund or 15 percent of any appropriation when a deficit of 5 percent or more exists

The rescissions statute does not allow a governor to cut aid to municipalities.

In addition, as a practical matter, a governor may not cut appropriations for entitlement programs or pension and health benefits for state employees and retirees - expenditures that comprise much of the budget.

Posted Feb. 2, 2010