~ by FHayek - November 07, 2007 ~
WS Weiner has proposed a 500,000 sq.ft. “Lifestyle Center” on Route 10 near I-691.
This is just another name for a shopping center and despite the “community amenities” that are being promised it will result in retail sprawl over the entire interchange area as other retailers jump on Cheshire’s short-sighted change in zoning.
Look for yourself and ask: Is this what we want in Cheshire?
View this important Powerpoint presentation. Download the Myth and the Reality
If you do not have Microsoft Powerpoint on your computer, download the “Viewer” from the Microsoft website and it will allow you to view this file. Download the powerpoint viewer.
Make yourself heard. You CAN stop this project and save Cheshire’s character, quality of life and the environment in north Cheshire. The next P&Z Public Hearing is on November 14th. The next Wetlands hearing is on the 20th.
~ by Craig Houghton - August 01, 2007 ~
How does $20 per meeting sound? Read on.
There has been talk of adding Council meetings to the internet. They are televised, but many in town, such as satellite customers, do not have access to the local cable programming. Many more do not have the time to tune in during the broadcast or to watch the whole thing through to find the discussion items that matter to them. As part of his continued efforts to keep our town government transparent, councilman Tim White has helped champion this cause.
from Tim White Listens
Regardless, I would very much like to move forward with exploring the possibility of videostreaming (I don’t care how or who makes it happen) as expeditiously as possible.
Go Tim! Sooner is far better than later. However, I’m worried that a hefty price tag might slow things down. A company offering web-based live video-streaming delivered this pitch to Tim:
from Tim White Listens
1) live webcast (simultaneous to the TV feed)
2) meetings stored on the internet for later access
3) webcasts broken down by agenda item.
The related costs for a town with a population of 27,000:
1) $15,000 startup
2) $1,000/month recurring fee (assuming the meetings are already taped, which they are).
(emphasis mine)
The quoted costs include hosting and serving the feed. That’s why the size of the town is relevant. There’s also a live stream in there.
How much would this cost if we simply converted the taped meetings to a web ready format and allowed YouTube or Google Video to absorb the hosting cost? According to an East Haven company, about 20$ per tape with the meetings broken into agenda items (provided that we pass along a note with the approximate break-points). The representative I spoke with said the turn around is about 2 to 3 days. Here’s their price-list.
The devil is in the details, but I did talk to the company and they made it clear that we can get web-ready video for 20$ per tape to be easily uploaded by anyone tech-savvy enough to post a video on YouTube. Does this sound like a good idea to anyone else? For that price, we can get the old stuff up there as well.
~ by Craig Houghton - July 27, 2007 ~
Chris Murphy has arranged for free one-on-one counseling with local professionals through the Connecticut Psychological Association and the Connecticut Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Please pass this information along to anyone that may need assistance during this difficult time.
National Association of Social Workers – Connecticut Chapter
Desiree Floyd – 860-257-8066
Contact her Monday-Friday, 9-5pm
The Connecticut Psychological Association
Kathy Hucks – 860-586-7522
Contact her Monday-Friday, 9-5pm
Dr. Candice Weigle-Spier
Page her between 5pm and 9am on weekdays and throughout the weekend
860-347-0718 (pager)
On his house.gov website Chris offers this message of support:
As a Cheshire resident, it has been very hard to be in Washington while the events of the last week have unfolded. My heart and soul go out to the Petit family in this dark hour, and my office stands at the ready to assist the Cheshire and Plainville communities as they cope with the aftermath of this horrible tragedy.
As we learn more about the histories of those who committed these unthinkable acts, I trust that our state officials will review our corrections and parole policies to make sure that all proper protocols were followed in this case and recommend any necessary changes. But there will be time for policy deliberations – now is the time for our community of Cheshire to come together to support its neighbors in this time of grief. I look forward to being part of this difficult process of healing and rebuilding.
Many thanks to Chris Murphy for the support (in word and action) and to Tim White for passing this information along.