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Norwalk TMP targets East Avenue at Olmstead Place

Assistant Director for Transportation Services Garrett Bolella explains the Olmstead Place/East Avenue issue to the Norwalk Traffic Authority, Nov. 15 on Zoom.

The proposal for new “Don’t Block the Box”markings on East Avenue.

NORWALK, Conn. — Norwalk’s new traffic mavens are looking to revisit an issue from five-six years ago: the challenges Olmstead Place and Knickerbocker Avenue residents face when they try to exit their neighborhood and get onto East Avenue, especially if they need to head toward the beach.

Assistant Director for Transportation Services Garrett Bolella, who’s held his post since mid-February, would like the City to paint “Don’t block the box” lines on the northbound side of East Avenue where it meets Olmstead Place, just south of the “Don’t block the box” grid at Interstate 95 exit 16. Bolella was hoping to do this before it got cold but the Traffic Authority tabled the idea Nov. 15 so it’s not likely to happen until Spring. Continue reading Norwalk TMP targets East Avenue at Olmstead Place

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The ‘great resignation’ is a trend that began before the pandemic – and bosses need to get used to it

Employers are having a harder time recruiting new workers. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Finding good employees has always been a challenge – but these days it’s harder than ever. And it is unlikely to improve anytime soon.

The so-called quit rate – the share of workers who voluntarily leave their jobs – hit a new record of 3% in September 2021, according to the latest data available from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality sector, where 6.4% of workers quit their jobs in September. In all, 20.2 million workers left their employers from May through September. Continue reading The ‘great resignation’ is a trend that began before the pandemic – and bosses need to get used to it

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Norwalk photos: Gratitude

(John Levin)

(John Levin)

NORWALK, Conn. — Four Norwalk faith leaders issued remarks of thanksgiving Monday evening to about 75 people who braved a chilly evening to attend the “Gratitude on the Green” event at the Norwalk Green gazebo.

The Rev. Daniel Simons of St. Paul’s on the Green, Rabbi Ita Paskind of Congregation Beth El, the Rev. Tamara Moreland of the First Congregational Church, and the Rev. Liz Abel of Cornerstone Community Church spoke, and Norwalk resident Audrey Cozzarin read an excerpt from the book “Braiding Sweetgrass,” by indigenous writer Robin Wall Kimmerer, focused on the “Honorable Harvest.”

Attendees were asked to share what they are grateful for, and Martine Bruno, a student at Yale Divinity School, sang John Lennon’s song “Imagine.” A group call-and-response hymn from South Africa was sung, concluding the program, and the First Congregational Church offered guests a bonfire on its steps with a live youth jazz band, hot apple cider and popcorn.

Paper lanterns lit the walkways to “Gratitude on the Green.” (Tracy Craighead)

Continue reading Norwalk photos: Gratitude

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Talking turkey! How the Thanksgiving bird got its name (and then lent it to film flops)

Not everyone is a fan of Turkey Day. (E4C via Getty Images)

“Meleagris Gallopavo Day” is a bit of a mouthful. Which may be why this Thanksgiving, most people will opt for the less ornithologically precise “Turkey Day.”

And just as turkey is a versatile meat – think of those leftover options! – so too is the word “turkey,” which can refer to everything from the bird itself to a populous Eurasian country to movie flops.

As a scholar who studies word origins, I love “talking turkey” – not only how the bird came to be named, but also how the word has evolved over time. But let’s start with what has become the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving Day dinners. Continue reading Talking turkey! How the Thanksgiving bird got its name (and then lent it to film flops)

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The first Thanksgiving is a key chapter in America’s origin story – but what happened in Virginia four months later mattered much more

In the 19th century, there was a campaign to link the Thanksgiving holiday to the Pilgrims. (Bettman/Getty Images)

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving in New England. Remembered and retold as an allegory for perseverance and cooperation, the story of that first Thanksgiving has become an important part of how Americans think about the founding of their country.

But what happened four months later, starting in March 1622 about 600 miles south of Plymouth, is, I believe, far more reflective of the country’s origins – a story not of peaceful coexistence but of distrust, displacement and repression. Continue reading The first Thanksgiving is a key chapter in America’s origin story – but what happened in Virginia four months later mattered much more

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Documents show big success for Independents of Norwalk

Signs outside Fox Run Elementary School on Election Day.

NORWALK, Conn. — Independents for Norwalk didn’t do well at the ballot box but there’s one race the fledgling party won hands down: fundraising.

Lisa Brinton’s nascent party, established in June, raised $27,125 ahead of the election, public documents show. The Norwalk Democratic Town Committee raised $5,520 this year; the Norwalk Republican Town Committee raised $382.50 this year or $245, depending on which part of its Oct. 26 filing you’re reading. Continue reading Documents show big success for Independents of Norwalk

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Library Board wrestles with COVID reopening decisions

The Norwalk Public Library Board of Trustees meets Wednesday on Zoom.

NORWALK, Conn. – The Norwalk Public Library’s reopening plan is set to expand – in January. If it’s possible.

The heavy decision making came at Wednesday’s Norwalk Public Library Board of Trustees meeting, with Chairman Alex Knopp successfully arguing that COVID-19 cases are increasing, so best to delay any changes until after the holidays.

The major issue was how many people to allow into the library’s community rooms. Norwalk Public Library Director Sherelle Harris had suggested increasing the numbers to a maximum 50 in the main library and 40 in SoNo; Knopp wanted to require proof of vaccination but said this would mean a fight with the City. Continue reading Library Board wrestles with COVID reopening decisions

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The metamorphosis of Connecticut’s transportation network is underway

(CTMirror.org)

Don’t look now, but we’re making history.  The changing forces now at work in our society, including our transportation network, will have a profound effect on our lives for decades to come.

THE BIG QUIT:  According to federal statistics, 4 million people quit their jobs in July of this year, with almost 11 million jobs nationwide now unfilled.  As a result, our ports are jammed, the supply chain broken and holiday purchases seem in peril.  Don’t expect any bargains for Christmas. Continue reading The metamorphosis of Connecticut’s transportation network is underway

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Norwalk BoE: Columbus renamed; possible changes to attendance zones detailed

Columbus Magnet Schoool Principal Medard Thomas, right, during a 2017 Board of Education meeting.

NORWALK, Conn. — From renaming schools to welcoming a new Chief Financial Officer, the Norwalk Board of Education has been busy, even in the first meeting for some. Here’s a roundup:

  • ‘Columbus’ slated to be renamed ‘Concord Magnet School’
  • District changes hinted at; Wolfpit, Silvermine, Jefferson and Cranbury mentioned
  • Hamilton praises his replacement
  • NFT VP: Ponus is already out of space
  • Concern about teachers; another holiday?

Continue reading Norwalk BoE: Columbus renamed; possible changes to attendance zones detailed

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Lamont backs down on TCI: ‘Tough rock to push when gas prices are so high.’

A fill-up at Costco.

Gov. Ned Lamont says he is no longer pushing for Connecticut to implement the Transportation and Climate Initiative program, citing high gasoline prices and federal infrastructure dollars coming from Washington D.C., according the Waterbury Republican-American.

“Look, I couldn’t get [TCI] through when gas prices were at historic lows. So, I think the legislature has been pretty clear it is a tough rock to push when gas prices so high, so, now, no,” Lamont told the Republican-American. Continue reading Lamont backs down on TCI: ‘Tough rock to push when gas prices are so high.’

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National Native American Heritage Month

(Norwalk Public Schools)

The Norwalk Board of Education is proud to recognize November as National Native American Heritage Month. National Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories of indigenous or First Nation people. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the unique challenges they have faced.

Native Americans have lived in Norwalk for thousands of years. The Norwalk Historical Society has highlighted the arrival of the first people to Norwalk in their current exhibition, “Norwalk’s Changing Communities 13,000 BC -1835,” now on display at the Mill Hill Historic Park. Continue reading National Native American Heritage Month

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