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ConnDOT: Less transit service for more money
How’s this for a double whammy? The Connecticut Department of Transportation is proposing a cut in train and bus service while also raising fares… just as I predicted months ago. Blame both plans on COVID and what it did to ridership… still down about 30% on Metro-North compared with 2019… but climbing, day by day. On Shore…
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Hispanic Heritage Month
The Norwalk Board of Education is proud to recognize Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month. During Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the contributions made and the important presence and impact of Hispanic and Latino Americans in our community and nation. Through strong commitment to family, faith and hard work, Latinos have enhanced…
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Fiber is your body’s natural guide to weight management – rather than cutting carbs out of your diet, eat them in their original fiber packaging instead
Fiber might just be the key to healthy weight management – and nature packages it in perfectly balanced ratios with carbs when you eat them as whole foods. Think unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Research suggests that carbohydrates are meant to come packaged in nature-balanced ratios of total carbohydrates to fiber.…
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How coyotes and humans can learn to coexist in cities
It’s a common story in many North American cities: a coyote is seen on an urban trail, sports field or schoolyard. Members of the public panic, insisting that the proximity or frequency of these sightings mean the coyote has become bold, aggressive or habituated. Public authorities are pressured to take action and, since relocation is…
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‘We the People’ includes all Americans – but July 4 is a reminder that democracy remains a work in progress
America’s founders did not trust everyone’s ability to equally participate in the new democracy, as laws at the time showed.
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The Supreme Court just shriveled federal protection for wetlands, leaving many of these valuable ecosystems at risk
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Sackett v. EPA that federal protection of wetlands encompasses only those wetlands that directly adjoin rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. This is an extremely narrow interpretation of the Clean Water Act that could expose many wetlands across the U.S. to filling and development. Under this keystone…
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How to kill a train line
Even while promoting transit-oriented development and better service, CT lawmakers are cutting back on the transit Our politician friends in Hartford are trying to kill mass transit in Connecticut, worsen our air quality and increase traffic, all in a move that contradicts public policy. They want to cut train service on Metro-North and Shore Line East railroads.…
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Wall Street settlement opens pathway to secure library parking
The recent Wall Street settlement between the City of Norwalk and Milligan Properties removes a nagging complication from moving forward with securing permanent on-site parking for users of the Norwalk Public Library. The settlement clears the deck for a renewed commitment to achieve the vision expressed by Mayor Rilling in his December 15, 2019, post-election…
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Arbor Day: Why planting trees isn’t enough
As ecologists who study forest restoration, we know that trees store carbon, provide habitat for animals and plants, prevent erosion and create shade in cities. But as we have explained elsewhere in detail, planting trees is not a silver bullet for solving complex environmental and social problems. And for trees to produce benefits, they need…
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Talk of pedestrian deaths touches a nerve
My recent column on the increase in pedestrian deaths brought us a lot of comments. Here are a few for you to consider: Doug Rankin, West Hartford “I have always enjoyed your column. Today’s was particularly alarming, and perhaps a canary in the coal mine. There have been more pedestrian deaths in the past 12 months…
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Long Island: So close to CT, yet so far away
On a clear day you can see it from the Connecticut shoreline (only about 20 miles away). But actually getting to Long Island often involves a very long, out-of-the-way journey. Maybe you’re going to LaGuardia or JFK. Or a Met’s game at Citi Field. Perhaps you’ll want to see the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.…
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Zone gasoline pricing — secretive and nonsensical
Connecticut’s free bus fares are gone and lawmakers have allowed gas taxes to rise to 20 cents a gallon as of April 1. But the end of our state’s “gas tax holiday” next month isn’t the reason gasoline prices vary so much from town to town. Just why does gasoline cost 60 cents a gallon…
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Act now to save endangered library parking
Creative programming and popular collections are the lifeblood of the Norwalk Public Library’s success, but convenient free parking is the oxygen that enables resident families to access the spectacular offerings available at the library’s Belden Avenue main branch. Unless City officials act quickly, the parking we’ve been able to offer for the past six years…
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Talk of pedestrian deaths touches a nerve
Last week’s column on the increase in pedestrian deaths brought us a lot of comments. Here are a few for you to consider: Doug Rankin, West Hartford “I have always enjoyed your column. Today’s was particularly alarming, and perhaps a canary in the coal mine. There have been more pedestrian deaths in the past 12 months…
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City-wide experiment will prove which side is right
In its continuing public service to Norwalk, NancyOnNorwalk plans to schedule a city-wide flush it event. This way we will all know whether the apartments are flooding the wastewater treatment plant. Oh sure, you’ve heard it, City officials and municipal staff members claim that the treatment plant can handle continuing development – which we all…
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NoN to offer one-day-a-year comments opportunity
Alas, the Comments section of NancyOnNorwalk.com remains a constant topic of debate between the governing board and the Managing Editor responsible for administering it. Over the years changes have been made to NoN’s Comments Policy – some minor tweaks (ALL comments now are subject to moderation review) as well as major improvements (EVERY commenter must use…
