What’s New on HartfordInfo.org

January 2008

What’s New on HartfordInfo.org is a periodic update announcing recent additions to HartfordInfo.org. Please feel free to forward this message to others. To be added to the distribution list send an email message through our feedback page.

HartfordInfo.org, a program of the Hartford Public Library, is a gateway to information and data on issues important to those who live and work in Hartford and the region.

New Data on HartfordInfo.org:

Vital Statistics Data - Birth Data: Birth data have been updated to include data from 1990 to 2005.This interactive data retrieval system provides access to information about births in Hartford by neighborhood. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and select Vital Statistics Data from the blue Hartford Data Sets box near the center of the home page.

Schools Data: Data for the Hartford Public Schools have been updated with another year of data. You may now find data on Demographics, Disciplinary Action, Dropouts, CMT and CAPT scores for the academic years - September 2003 to June 2004 and September 2004 to June 2005. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and select Schools Data from the blue Hartford Data Sets box near the center of the home page.

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New Reports on HartfordInfo.org:

Connecting the Dots: Growth, Work and Prosperity - This document illustrates the interconnection among working families, Connecticut’s prosperity, and the state’s economic future. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “dots” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Renewing a Historic Legacy: The Park System of Hartford Connecticut - The park network of the city of Hartford, which in the early 20th century was one of the best in the nation, needs attention if it is to rise to prominence again in the 21st. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “legacy” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Hartford Downtown Arena Feasibility Study - A report prepared for Mayor Eddie Perez on the feasibility of building a new downtown arena. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “arena study” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
New School Designs Specifications for Hartford Public Schools -The Hartford Board of Education adopted four new school designs for the Hartford School System at the December 18, 2007 Board meeting. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “school design” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Talent-Based Strategy to Keep Connecticut Competitive in the 21st Century - This report evaluates the ability of Connecticut’s workforce to meet new challenges to its economic competitiveness and quality of life. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “talent” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Mayor Eddie Perez 2008 Inauguration Address - In his inauguration speech, Mayor Eddie Perez announces the creation of a health insurance task force, the convening of a task force to explore the development of a new sports arena in Hartford, and the appointment of an independent ethics counsel to report to the city’s ethics commission. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “inauguration” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Every Smile Counts: The Oral Health of Connecticut's Children - This document reports the results of a state-wide survey of Connecticut's children who attended Headstart and public elementary schools during the 2006-2007 school year. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “oral” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Upper Albany Clay Arsenal Weed and Seed Newsletter - The Grapevine - A newsletter from the Upper Albany - Clay Arsenal (UCAC) Weed and Seed program, spotlighting safe communities programs for Hartford youth. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “grapevine” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Hartford Police Department, 2007 Year End Report - A summary of crime statistics, for the city of Hartford, and its community policing districts for 2007. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “police 2007” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Hartford Property Tax Reform Task Force Recommendations, First and Second Sets, December 2007 - The first and second sets of recommendations of the Hartford Property Tax Reform Task Force include a continued phase-down of the business surcharge and an overall reduction of the subsidy provided by business; protection of Hartford’s small homeowner class; the equal tax treatment of all classes of property used for profit-making purposes; and a concern for the well-being of renters. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “tax task force” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Quality of Life First Quarter Report, 7/1/2007 - 9/30/ 2007 - A report which fulfills the recommendations of the Keeping Hartford Clean report of the Quality of Life Working Committee of the Hartford City Council. It includes statistics on the Anit-Graffiti Program, citizen requests for city services, activities of the Hartford Department of Health and Human Services, and crime by neighborhood, abandoned vehicles removed, and noise complaints. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “quality quarter” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Kids Count Data Center -The Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT online database is now featuring child well-being measures for the 50 largest U.S. cities, contains more than 100 indicators, including the most recent data available on education, employment and income, poverty, health, and youth risk factors for the United States as a whole. - Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “data center” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Connecticut Economic Outlook 2007: Is Connecticut Doing So Well? A Tale of Two Economies - Connecticut had a phenomenal first quarter of 2007, as measured by personal income, with growth of $6.1 billion. But that big surge came from financial services, a highly volatile sector. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “outlook” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Connecticut Counts 2007: Point-in-Time Homeless Count Final Report - On January 30, 2007 communities across Connecticut conducted their first statewide count of homeless individuals and families. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “counts 2007” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
A Decent Place to Live: Landlords and Tenants Rights in Hartford - A brochure about landlords and tenants rights in Hartford. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “decent” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Gross Domestic Product by Metropolitan Area, Bureau of Economic Analysis - A website which provides information about Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for each of the Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) in the United States. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “gross” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”

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New Articles on HartfordInfo.org:

Through agreements with the Hartford Courant, the Hartford Business Journal, the Hartford News, and the Hartford Advocate, HartfordInfo.org continues to offer selected articles as permanent additions to the web site. Some recent additions include:

Convention Center Delivers - Boat and car shows are growing, average convention attendance is on the rise, and more people have stayed in Hartford area hotels during the first 30 months of operation at the Connecticut Convention Center. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “center delivers” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
A Crisis Of Poverty - Connecticut's Child Poverty and Prevention Council met with a panel of national experts recently to study recommendations to reduce persistent child poverty in the state. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “poverty crisis” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Coltsville Looking Like A Landmark - Coltsville's place in Hartford history has long been secure. With recent action by National Park Service officials, Coltsville moved closer to gaining a place on the national historic map. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “coltsville looking” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Julia B. Rosenblatt: Big On Hartford - Actress Julia Rosenblatt helped start a theater troupe in Hartford because she believes in her hometown. The activist ensemble's mission is to provoke social change. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “rosenblatt” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Speaking For Prisoners - Betty Gallo is lobbying lawmakers on behalf of prisoners who are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, A Better Way Foundation and the Connecticut chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The groups are concerned that lawmakers are rushing to make decisions in the wake of tragedy. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “speaking” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Filling In The Future - The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art once again finds itself in transition. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “filling future” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
City Poised For Learning Overhaul - Superintendent Steven Adamowski's sweeping plan is to divide Hartford Public High School into four or five academies, each with its own principal, teachers, theme, college-prep curriculum, uniforms, budget and building entrance. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “learning overhaul” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Judge Sends Sheff Deal Back - The Superior Court judge in the Sheff v. O'Neill lawsuit breathed new life into a desegregation accord recently. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “sheff deal” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Schools: A Shift Of Views On Sheff - A decade after the state Supreme Court ordered the desegregation of schools across Greater Hartford in the landmark Sheff v. O'Neill case, the goal of integration remains elusive. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “sheff shift ” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
A Shift Of Minorities In Schools - While not much has changed in Hartford in the 18 years since Sheff was filed, dozens of schools in the region look much different than they did then. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “minorities” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Mr. West Indian Passes - Keith L. Carr Sr., whose pre-eminent leadership of his community in Greater Hartford for nearly half a century earned him the name "Mr. West Indian," died on January 7, 2008. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “carr” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Into the Depths - The fabled underground canoe tours of the Park River remain on hold, but the man who led the tours is now suing the city. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “depths” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
When 1 + 2 Equals More - Hartford has joined forces with two cities — both significantly smaller — to increase convention bookings to all three locales. The cities: Madison, Wisconsin, and Spokane, Washington. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “1 + 2” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Passage From India - There are thousands of Indians in Hartford and they are big players in Hartford's biggest companies. But they face silent discrimination from those who think they are stealing jobs. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “india” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Rents Deter Young Workers - Hartford craves young blood. So why aren’t more young professionals living here? Clearly, it’s the high apartment rents, say real estate professionals. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “rents” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Jazz: The Fine Art of Art Fine - Although he never played a note in public and shunned the limelight, Art Fine, a founder of the Hartford Jazz Society, was for many decades one of the most influential, behind-the-scenes shakers-and-doers on the Hartford jazz scene. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “jazz” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
MassMutual Building A Great Opportunity - Tom Condon expresses the opinion that what is getting lost in the commotion over the MassMutual building is the opportunity being presented. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “mass opportunity” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Admired Hartford Officer Donald Healey Leaving Force - Hartford Police Officer Donald Healey, 72, retired recently after 50 years with the Hartford Police Department. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “healey” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
Money Troubles Stall Capewell Project - When developer John Reveruzzi proposed converting the former Capewell factory into 100 condominiums, the Capital City Economic Development Authority and the City of Hartford fully embraced the project. But the promise of Capewell was never realized, and is now facing possible foreclosure by the city. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “capewell project” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”
A Place for Everyone - La Paloma Sabanera, which closed recently, was a lot of things, but it was never your regular coffeehouse/bookstore. Go to www.hartfordinfo.org and type “everyone” in the Google search box and then click “Search.”

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