Woodstock is CT's Best Town for Teens, Analysis Shows

Last week, Connecticut by the Numbers reported that Connecticut’s under-18 population has declined during the past decade, and the state now ranks #37 in the nation in the percentage of residents less than 18 years-old. Now, the Hearst newspapers in Connecticut have researched the best towns for teens to live in the state. Topping the list were the small towns of Woodstock, Cornwall, and Prospect. The Hearst analysis to determine the state’s best towns for teens, included five sets of numbers: the town’s four-year graduation rates for high schools; the percentage of the population between the ages of 15 and 19; the percentage of teens holding a job; teen pregnancy rates; and arrests numbers for teens charged with drug offenses and driving while intoxicated.

Here are Connecticut’s Top 10 Towns for Teens:

1. Wood stock 84.3
2. Cornwall 82.5
3. Prospect 82.0
4. Mansfield 80.9
5. Eastford 80.7
6. Wolcott 80.6
7. Brooklyn 80.2
8. Scotland 80.0
9. Bolton 79.9
10. New Hartford 79.9

At the bottom of the list are the towns of Winchester (38.6), East Windsor (38.2) and Derby (19.3), the data indicates.  Not a single Southwestern Connecticut town cracked the top 10 of the list, according to the story published by Hearst Media. Newtown is the Southwestern Connecticut town with the highest score, coming in at No. 14, with a total score of 78.5 out of 100.

“Though idyllic towns dotting the landscape around Fairfield County and surrounding areas are often heralded as havens for raising children, many of the smaller, more affluent spots were ranked near the middle of the list or below: Ridgefield came in at No. 38 with a score of 74.6; New Canaan came in at No. 72 with 69.6 points; Darien was No. 81 with 68.4 points; Westport was No. 106 with 65.2 points; and Greenwich was No. 119 out of 169, with 62.3 points,” Hearts Media reported, in a story published by the Connecticut Post.

Connecticut’s Under-18 Population Ranks #37 in USA, Has Dropped During Past Decade

Where are the nation’s young people? Definitely not in New England, proportionally speaking. Nearly one-third of Utah’s residents - 31.3 percent - are under age 18, the highest percentage in the nation. In Connecticut, the under 18 population is just over one-fifth, at 22.4 percent, ranking the state at #37, and below the national average of 23.7 percent.

Connecticut, however, fares better than its New England neighbors in the percentage of population that is under age 18. The New Engalnd states of Rhode Island (20.8 percent), Maine (20.4 percent) and Vermont (20.1 percent) are ranked #48, #49, and #50 at the bottom of the list, with the smallest percentage of residents under age 18. Massachusetts ranked #44 and New Hampshire at #45.

Among the states with the highest percentage of their population under age 18, after Utah, are Texas at 27.1 percent, Idaho at 27 percent, Alaska at 26 percent and Georgia at 23.5 percent. The lowest percentage is in Washington, D.C. at 17.1 percent.

Connecticut’s percentage of residents under age 18 has dwindled during the past decade, from 24 percent in January 2004 to 23.6 in January 2008, to 22.4 in January 2012. Between May 2010 and May 2012 only Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont experienced a larger drop in the percentage of under 18 population.

New York (#42) and Pennsylvania (#43) are also in the bottom ten. New Jersey has the highest percent of young people in the region, ranked at #30, with 23.2 percent.

Under 18 years old is defined as the percent of the total population under age 18. Data on age were collected as part of the American Community Survey (ACS) of the U.S. Census, a nationwide survey designed to provide communities with demographic, social, economic and housing data every year. It has an annual sample size of about 3 million addresses across the U.S. The data was reported by Bloomberg.com, using the latest ACS data through 2012, and was compliled in 2013.

CT Ranks #12 in Meeting Long-Term Care Needs of Older Residents

When it comes to support for seniors and caregivers, it matters where you live – and Connecticut is better than most places. According to a new, comprehensive state-by-state Scorecard from AARP, Connecticut ranks 12th in the nation in meeting the long-term care needs of older residents and people with disabilities. Even with the solid showing, AARP officials stress that more needs to be done, especially as the state’s 50-plus population continues to grow. Specific areas cited include more support and training for family caregivers, and easing patient transitions to and from the hospital or a skilled nursing facility.

Raising Expectations 2014: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers – an update of the inaugural 2011 Scorecard – ranks each state overall and within 26 performance indicators along five key dimensions:

• affordability and access;
• choice of setting and provider;
• quality of life and quality of care;
• support for family caregivers; and,
• effective transitions.

New indicators this year include length of stay in nursing homes and use of anti-psychotic drugs by nursing homes, raising serious concerns about the quality of institutional care. The Scorecard was complied by AARP with support from The Commonwealth Fund and SCAN Foundation.

According to the state Scorecard, a majority of family caregivers (59.4%) face a degree of stress and worry. In addition, Connecticut ranks last (51) when it comes to the percent of home health patients with a hospital admission. This signifies a need for more resources and training for family caregivers - especially around complex medical tasks – so that their loved ones don’t end up back in the hospital and can continue to live independently at home, according to AARP officials.

“The vast majority of older Connecticut residents want to live independently, at home, as they age – most with the help of unpaid family caregivers,” says Nora Duncan, state director of AARP Connecticut, which serves nearly 600,000 members age 50 and older in Connecticut.

Today, unpaid family caregivers provide the bulk of care for older Connecticut residents, in part because the cost of long-term care remains unaffordable for most middle income families. In Connecticut, it is estimated that more than 486,000 residents help their aging parents, spouses and other loved ones stay at home by providing assistance with bathing and dressing, transportation, finances, complex medical tasks like wound care and injections, and more.

“When it comes to helping older Connecticut residents live in the setting of their choice, this silent army of family caregivers assumes the lion’s share of responsibility,” explains Duncan. “Many juggle full-time jobs with their caregiving duties; others provide 24/7 care for their loved ones. With every task they undertake, these family caregivers save the state money by keeping their loved ones out of costly nursing homes – most often paid for by Medicaid. They have earned some basic support.”

The top 12 states overall are Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont, Wisconsin, California, Maine, District of Columbia, and Connecticut, which make up the top quartile among the states. At the bottom of the rankings are Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky.

According to the Scorecard, Connecticut ranks 29th in the percent of Medicaid long-term care dollars that support care provided at home and in the community – the care setting that most residents prefer. The Scorecard spotlights specific areas that call for improvement, including:

• Percent of home health patients with a hospital admission;
• Percent of nursing home residents with low care needs;
• Percent of people with 90+ day nursing home stays successfully transitioning back to the community.
• Family caregivers without much worry or stress, enough time, well-rested;

Of the 26 Scorecard indicators, 13 may be improved through state policy changes, which officials say points to the importance of AARP’s multi-state advocacy campaign, launched this year, to help older Americans live independently, at home, and the family caregivers that support them. “Even facing tight budgets following the Great Recession, Connecticut is making clear progress to help our older residents. However, this Scorecard shows we have more to do – and with a predicted ‘silver tsunami’ sweeping over our state in the next 20 years, the time to act is now.”

The full state Scorecard, along with an interactive map of state rankings and information, is available at www.longtermscorecard.org.

Nicknames Tomahawks, Redmen, Chiefs, Warriors Remain in CT High School Sports

The New Haven Register editorial page has called on Connecticut high schools to do what Washington’s NFL franchise has thus far refused to do. Get with the times. The Register reports that “at least 23 high school teams in the state have names associated with Native Americans that could be considered offensive, from the Derby and Torrington Red Raiders to the Nonnewaug Chiefs or the Killingly Redmen and Glastonbury Tomahawks. Names containing Indians or Warriors are also popular among the state’s high schools,” the paper indicated.

“While these names may have initially been created with the thinking they were honoring Connecticut’s rich history, they are not only offensive, but keep us rooted in a culture of racism that has lingered for too long. And while a name change may temporarily disrupt the identity of the school and its sports teams, if done right, it can be successful and be used to the school’s advantage.”

The list of team nicknames that are of concern varies. Some consider “Indians” inappropriate, yet the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball (MLB) have received virtually none of the criticism that has been leveled at the NFL’s Washington franchise. MLB’s Atlanta Braves fans have long been known for doing the “tomahawk chop” at teams’ games, and the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs are not seen as being as offensive as the franchise name used in D.C.

Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford recently told WFSB-TV that the school’s teams no longer officially use the name “Indians,” but as of this week, the schools website continued to feature its parent booster club as the “Tomahawk Club.” At Glastonbury High School, the athletics teams are called the “Tomahawks.”

There have been some changes among Connecticut’s high schools and colleges, as the Register indicates. “Quinnipiac University, for example, changed the names of its sports teams and mascot in 2002 from Braves to Bobcats. At the time the name change was announced, the school indicated that ‘the university community clearly recognized the difficulties of using a name that has the potential to misrepresent and denigrate an entire group of people. And, despite our clear intention to honor and remember the Native Americans once known as the Quinnipiaks, to do so only through athletics was found to be no longer appropriate.’”

In addition, “Newtown changed its name from Indians to Nighthawks. Its old Indian chief mascot had previously been discarded. Hall High School in West Hartford voted in 2012 to change its logo and mascot, but kept its team name, the Warriors,” the Register reported.

Among the Connecticut high schools that have received some attention on local and national websites are those with Indians, Chiefs, Warriors, Raiders, Sachems, Tomahawks, Redmen, Red Raiders and Chieftans (see below).

Two years ago, the Hartford Courant reported that a national Native American rights organization, the Morning Star Institute, indicated that “two-thirds of Native American symbols in educational sports have been eliminated since 1970. Among the colleges that have changed nicknames are St. John's University in New York, from the "Redmen" to the "Red Storm," and Marquette in Wisconsin, from the "Warriors" to the "Golden Eagles."

The unofficial list of high school team nicknames that are receiving attention in the midst of the Washington NFL franchise controversy:

Canton High School (Warriors), Conard (West Hartford) High School (Chieftans), Derby High School (Red Raiders),Enfield High School (Raiders), Farmington High School (Indians), Glastonbury High School (Tomahawks), Guilford High School (Indians), Hall (West Hartford) High School (Warriors), H.C. Wilcox Technical (Meriden) High School (Indians),Killingly High School (Redmen), Manchester Senior High School (Indians), Montville High School (Indians), Newington High School (Indians), Nonnewaug (Woodbury) High School (Chiefs), North Haven Senior High School (Indians), Northwest Catholic (West Hartford) High School (Indians), Norwich Regional Vocational Technical School (Warriors), RHAM Junior Senior High School (Sachems), Torrington High School (Red Raiders), Valley Regional (Deep River) High School (Warriors), Wamogo (Litchfield) Regional High School (Warriors), Watertown High School (Indians), Wilcox Technical (Meriden) High School (Indians), Wilton High School (Warriors), Windsor High School (Warriors), Windsor Locks High School (Raiders).

12 Connecticut School Districts Named "Best Communities for Music Education"

Twelve Connecticut school districts have been named as being among the nation’s Best Communities for Music Education (BCME). The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation recognized 376 school districts across the country for exemplary music education programs. These districts and schools “set the bar in offering students access to comprehensive music education.”

The Connecticut school districts earning the recognition are: Avon, Canton, Cheshire, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Newington, Newtown, Southington, Torrington, West Hartford, Weston and Westport.

The BCME program applauds the efforts of teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders working to assure that music education is part of the core curriculum. More than 2000 schools and school districts participated in this year’s survey, according to the Foundation.

Now in its 15th year, the BCME program evaluates schools and districts based on funding, staffing of highly qualified teachers, commitment to standards, and access to music instruction. The NAMM Foundation with the assistance of researchers at The Institute for Educational Research and Public Service of Lawrence, Kansas (an affiliate of the University of Kansas) evaluate participants on these factors. Designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and greater access to music education.

“These schools and districts make a strong commitment to music education in the core curriculum supporting its essential value to a well-rounded education for every child,” said Mary Luehrsen, NAMM Foundation executive director.

A study published in 2007 by Christopher Johnson, professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas, revealed that students in elementary schools with superior music education programs scored around 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math scores on standardized tests, compared to schools with low-quality music programs, regardless of socioeconomic disparities among the schools or school districts. Johnson compares the concentration that music training requires to the focus needed to perform well on a standardized test, according to an article published by the Public Broadcasting System.

Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University and an author of a recent study that was published in The Journal of Neuroscience in November 2013, looked at 44 healthy adults ages 55 to 76, measuring electrical activity in a region of the brain that processes sound. The New York Times reported that they found that participants who had four to 14 years of musical training had faster responses to speech sounds than participants without any training — even though no one in the first group had played an instrument for about 40 years.

The BCME program is described as one of the NAMM Foundation’s foremost efforts to bolster support for school-based music education programs “that must be available for all children. Providing music education for all students is something any community can accomplish if it has the collective will to do so, regardless of size or affluence,” the organization points out.

The NAMM Foundation is a non-profit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 9,000 members around the world. The NAMM Foundation works to advance active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs.

The full list of school districts is available on the NAMM Foundation website.

239 Towns in Connecticut Vie to Win State's "Fan Favorite" Tourism Contest

If you’re looking for your town on the drop down menu at the state’s tourism site as part of the second annual “fan favorite” contest, don’t be surprised if the list seems longer than you’d expect. The list of “towns” includes each and every one of the state’s 169 municipalities - plus 70 additional geographic entities that really aren’t towns at all. Some are familiar, many are not – except perhaps for the people who live or near their boundaries. Either way, they’re not towns or cities. Which could make it interesting as the votes are tallied.

Might “Woodstock” and “South Woodstock” divide the Woodstock vote? Or “Redding” and “Redding Ridge” the Redding vote? And where is Central Village, Oneco, Pine Meadow, or Quaker Hill? All are included on the list of towns.

That’s not even mentioning the back-to-back listings for “Barkhamstead” and “Barkhamsted” – presumably one is a misspelling, not a distinct geographic entity.

Although the site asks for individuals to “vote for the town,” there are 239 choices available. Of course, after identifying a “town,” respondents need to indicate which “revolutionary place in town” has earned their vote for “fan favorite.”  No suggestions are offered there - entrants are on their own.

Voting opened earlier this month and continues on the agency's Facebook page through July 25. The winners will receive advertising and public relations support from the tourism office, and will also be featured in the 2015 Connecticut Visitor's Guide.

The state’s tourism Facebook pages urges visitors to “Vote now for your chance to win a getaway to Niantic! The ZIP and ZEN prize package includes a four-night stay at the Inn at Harbor Hill Marina, $100 gift card to Grace boutique and a free all-day pass to Niantic Bay Bicycles.” Visitors are also asked to share a photo, presumably for posting on the state’s tourism web pages.

And if you’re wondering when it was founded – the state, not the Facebook page – the date listed is January 9, 1788.

The state’s tourism website, www.ctvisit.com, also provides a link to the contest, as well as the state’s visitors guide and a range of “52 getaways” and travel details and special offers. One can even sign up to be a “Connecticut Ambassador.” That web form does not include a drop down menu of towns – one simply just types in your town, without any suggestions or prompting.

Aging Bridges, Considerable Disrepair Are Significant Challenge in CT, Nationwide

It was in 1983 that three people died in Connecticut when a section of the Mianus River Bridge on Interstate-95 collapsed into the water below, and unsuspecting drivers drove off the end of the road in the middle of the Greenwich night. That tragedy launched a multi-million dollar infrastructure investment program in Connecticut, but now, three decades later, the age and condition of the state’s bridges is front and center again, as a poorly functioning, 118-year-old railroad bridge has disrupted commuter service on the nation’s busiest rail corridor by repeatedly refusing to close.

The extent of the nation’s bridge-related challenge is daunting, and yet represents only a portion of the overall infrastructure needs. Less than a year ago, a study released by the American Society of Civil Engineers determined that:

• over two hundred million trips are taken daily across deficient bridges in the nation’s 102 largest metropolitan regions
• one in nine of the nation’s bridges are rated as structurally deficient,
• the average age of the nation’s 607,380 bridges is currently 42 years.

The report also pointed out that “it is of growing concern that the bridges in our nation’s metropolitan areas, which are an indispensable link for both millions of commuters and freight on a daily basis, are decaying more rapidly than our rural bridges.”

Once every four years, America’s civil engineers provide a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s major infrastructure categories in ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (Report Card). The most recent report was issued in 2013.

Connecticut, according to the data, has 406 of the state’s 4,208 bridges classified as structurally deficient and another 1,070 are considered to be functionally obsolete. The report also noted that Connecticut has 21,407 public road miles, and 73 percent of the state’s major roads are considered to be in poor or mediocre condition.

By county, the 406 structurally deficient bridges were: 106 in Fairfield County, 71 in Hartford County, 58 in New Haven County, 45 in New London County and Litchfield County, 27 in Middlesex County, 24 in Windham County and 14 in Tolland County. In addition, the report indicated that Connecticut had 1,023 functionally obsolete bridges in the state.

Structurally deficient bridges “require significant maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement. These bridges, according to the report, “must be inspected at least every year since critical load-carrying elements were found to be in poor condition due to deterioration or damage.” Functionally obsolete bridges are those that “no longer meet the current standards that are used today. Examples are narrow lanes or low load-carrying capacity.”

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that to eliminate the nation’s bridge deficient backlog by 2028, an investment of $20.5 billion annually would be needed, according to the report, while only $12.8 billion is being spent currently. The report stated that “the challenge for federal, state, and local governments is to increase bridge investments by $8 billion annually to address the identified $76 billion in needs for deficient bridges across the United States.”

The report indicated that 22 states have a higher percentage of structurally deficient bridges than the national average, while five states have more than 20% of their bridges defined as structurally deficient. Pennsylvania tops the list with 24.4%, while Iowa and Oklahoma are not far behind, each having just over 21% of their bridges classified as structurally deficient.

Overall, the nation’s grade for the condition of its bridges was C+, which was described as “mediocre” and in need of attention. “Some elements exhibit significant deficiencies in conditions and functionality, with increasing vulnerability to risk.” The 32-member Advisory Committee did not include any engineers from Connecticut, but did include two from Massachusetts and one from Maine, among the New England states.

Time magazine reported this week that the I-95 bridge over Delaware’s Christina River was quickly closed to all traffic on May 29, after “an engineer who happened to be working nearby noticed two of the span’s support pillars tilting.“ Officials hope to have the structure stabilized and reopened by Labor Day. The bridge had routinely handled about 90,000 vehicles per day.

The I-35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour on August 1, 2007, plunging dozens of cars and their occupants into the river, killing 13 people and injuring 145. The bridge was Minnesota's fifth busiest, carrying 140,000 vehicles daily.

The American Society of Civil Engineers, founded in 1852, is the country’s oldest national civil engineering organization. It represents more than 140,000 civil engineers in private practice, government, industry, and academia who are dedicated to advancing the science and profession of civil engineering. The first Report Card for America’s Infrastructure was issued in 1988.

Connecticut Students to Compete in National History Day Nationals in Maryland

Each year nearly 3,000 students and their parents and teachers from across the country gather at the University of Maryland - College Park for annual week-long finals of the National History Day competition. This year, 63 Connecticut students will be among them when the competition unfolds this week. After selecting a historical topic that relates to an annual theme, students conduct extensive research using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. Students analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topic's significance in history, and create final projects that demonstrate their work.

National History Day is not a predetermined by-the-book program but an innovative curriculum framework in which students learn history by selecting topics of interest and launching into a year-long research project. NHD is a meaningful way for students to study historical issues, ideas, people and events by engaging in historical research.

Following what organizers described as “tremendous participation” at this year's six regional district contests across Connecticut with over 4,000 students participating, and a culminating statewide competition at Central Connecticut State University in April, students in senior and junior divisions will be taking part in the 2014 Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest to be held June 15 – 19 in Maryland. (See list of 2014 State Contest Winners.)

Organizers also credited “an immense amount of support from sponsors, volunteer judges, staff and Connecticut legislators. The theme this year is Rights and Responsibilities.

History Day in Connecticut is a program for students in grades 6-12 that encourages exploration of local, state, national, and world history. Participating students come from all over the United States, Guam, American Samoa, Department of Defense Schools in Europe, and affiliates in China, Korea, and Jakarta.

More information about History Day in Connecticut, and the national competition, is posted at www.historydayct.org. In addition, WFSB-TV recently interviewed a Connecticut competitor. The national event at the University of Maryland will be live streamed.

History Day in Connecticut is led by Connecticut's Old State House, with support from the Connecticut Historical Society, the Connecticut League of History Organizations and Connecticut Humanities' ConnecticutHistory.org website. Major funding is provided by Connecticut Humanities.

CPTV to Launch Third Season of Infinity Hall Live to National Audience, New Content-Rich Website

There was a time when Connecticut Public Television was most associated across the country with a purple dinosaur named Barney. Next it was the UConn women’s basketball team that became synonymous with CPTV. Now, a distinctive concert series has come to define the local network well beyond our state’s borders. Infinity Hall Live, the intimate concert series taped at historic Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk, returns in July to CPTV with a new season of five episodes. This season’s line-up includes: five-time Grammy-winning blues legends The Robert Cray Band, folk/pop artist Brett Dennen and his four-piece band, alt-country rockers Deer Tick, seven-time Grammy nominee singer-songwriter Joan Osborne and the band of brothers Los Lonely Boys.

Co-produced by Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and Infinity Music Hall, the third season of the series, airing on CPTV and public television stations across the country, features a lineup of diverse artists from a wide range of musical genres – rock, folk, blues and more – appealing to fans of every taste and generation.

Nationally, over 70 percent of public television stations nationwide have broadcast Infinity Hall Live, bringing fans from all over the country inside the cozy Victorian music hall. Major markets airing the new season beginning in July will include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, Phoenix, Portland, St. Louis, Cleveland and many more. A complete list of stations is available at www.pbs.org/tv_schedules/. Executive Producer is multiple regional Emmy Award winner Jennifer Boyd.

Known for its rustic style, the intimate 300-seat Infinity Hall, built in 1883, has a unique ability to offer fans a profound and personal way to not only enjoy their favorite artists’ songs, but also listen to interviews on their creative processes. In candid pre- and post-show interviews, the performers reflect on their motivations, their inspirations, and their unique style of songwriting and playing.

In addition to the new concert programming this season, Infinity Hall Live is offering a major relaunch of its website at www.ihlive.org. The website will feature more bonus content, a new design, extended interviews and videos not featured in the broadcast versions of the shows.

The new season of five episodes will be combined with 22 concerts from the previous two seasons of Infinity Hall Live and released online over the coming year for on-demand video streaming.

Every two weeks, a new concert will be released on the Infinity Hall Live website, www.ihlive.org, for a limited time. The full programs will also be available for streaming online on PBS Video (http://video.pbs.org/program/infinity-hall-live/)and on TVs and mobile devices through the PBS apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad), Apple TV, Kindle Fire, Roku and Xbox.

Connecticut Public Television is one of the top presenting stations of public television programming in the U.S., with over two decades of experience producing programs that inform, educate, entertain and inspire – including a strong reputation and track record as a leader in performance programming

With Hockey History, North Carolina and Connecticut Look to Baseball, Attendance Growth

North Carolina and Connecticut – two states forever linked in the cross-currents of sports by the Hartford Whalers relocation to the Tarheel State in 1997, are both using 2014 to heighten their professional baseball credentials. The City of Hartford has announced that the Double A franchise currently in New Britain will be moving to the Capitol City in 2016 in a soon-to-be-built $60 million, nearly 10,000 seat stadium. Just two months ago, the Triple A Charlotte Knights opened their newly constructed 10,200 seat $55 million downtown stadium. The Knights are an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Ground was broken on the new stadium in September 2012, about an 18 month construction schedule.

The first Knights game took place on April 11, 2014. (photo at left) The stadium features a two-level club with skyline views as well as a VIP, climate-controlled club with full service bar. In addition to corporate suites, there are 987 club seats at the new Charlotte stadium. Of those, 170 on the upper level sell for $41.50 per game, or nearly $3,000 per season. The remaining 817 club seats, at $21 per game, sell for about $1,500 annually.  All of the club seats were sold out 10 months prior to the season opener, according to the Knights website.  Season tickets require either a two- or four-year commitment. Naming rights to the stadium were sold to BB&T Corporation in 2012. Published reports also indicate that multiple new hotels are expected to open in the area around the stadium in the coming years, along with restaurants and retail.

The Charlotte team’s website reports that “National ballpark consultants conservatively estimate that in its first year BB&T Ballpark should draw at least 600,000 fans just for baseball.” In addition to obtaining corporate sponsorships, among the fundraising initiatives along the way in Charlotte were commemorative bricks sold to be placed in the stadium’s entrance, at a cost of between $90 to $195, containing individual messages determined by purchasers. A portion of the sales went to local charities in Charlotte.

Comparing Attendance Numbers, Possibilities

The Rock Cats drew more than 307,000 fans to their 6,100-seat stadium in New Britain last year, ranking sixth in the 12-team Eastern League. The Knights were last in attendance in the Class AAA International League last year, with an average of 3,803 per game, down from a high of 4,736 in 2006, according to the Charlotte News Observer. In 2013, the New Britain Rock Cats averaged 4,653 fans per game, which ranked 59th among baseball’s minor league teams. Charlotte ranked 80th. The top team in the league - and in minor league baseball - the Columbus Clippers, drew 9,212 per game.

The AAA Pawtucket Red Sox average attendance in 2013 was 7,827, ranked #10 in minor league baseball. The Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, also a Red Sox affiliate, ranked 47th, drawing an average of 5,096 per game. Among Double-A teams, Portland ranks tenth.

The top minor league teams, based on average attendance in 2013, are in Columbus, Lehigh Valley, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Dayton, Buffalo, Louisville, Round Rock (Texas) and Albuquerque. The top Double-A teams are in Frisco, TX (7,057); Richmond, VA (6,689); Reading, PA (6,321); Tulsa, OK (5,704); Birmingham, AL (5,669); Corpus Christi, TX (5,498); Trenton, NJ (5,373) and New Hampshire (5,125).

On July 12, 2008, the Rock Cats established a franchise record for single game attendance, with a crowd of 8,115 at New Britain Stadium. The record was broken on June 27, 2009, with a crowd of 8,212. The Rock Cats reached the 8,000 mark once again on May 31, 2014 with a crowd of 8,079.

For those who wonder if there is a Triple A future for a Hartford baseball stadium, the history of Pawtucket may be of interest. The first team to be named the Pawtucket Red Sox debuted in 1970 as a member of the Double-A Eastern League, according to Wikipedia. After three seasons as a Double-A Red Sox affiliate, Pawtucket's Eastern League franchise moved to Bristol, CT in 1973 to make room for the new Triple-A PawSox. And as most Connecticut sports fans recall, the Bristol franchise then moved to New Britain in 1983, first as a Red Sox Double-A affiliate (through 1994) and then as the farm team of the Minnesota Twins.

And might the presence of a stadium in Hartford, rather than New Britain, cause the Red Sox to return with an affiliate in Connecticut? Apparently not any time soon. The Sox appear set in Pawtucket and Portland.

In January 2013, the Portland Sea Dogs announced an extension of their affiliation with the Boston Red Sox as the Double A minor league team. Their contract was set to end after the 2014 season but the extension through the 2018 season was announced during the Portland Sea Dogs Hot Stove Banquet by Red Sox director of player development Mike Hazen and Sea Dogs president Charlie Eshbach. Eshbach served as Eastern League President for 11 years and is the league's longest serving active member  – dating back to his tenure as general manager of the Bristol Red Sox in Connecticut, not too many years after attending college at UConn.

“We are delighted to extend our relationship with the Portland Sea Dogs for an additional two seasons,” said Hazen at the time. “We are extremely fortunate to work with some of the best people in minor league baseball in Portland. The Burke family, Charlie Eshbach, and the entire Sea Dogs organization always go above and beyond to provide support to our players and staff. With the Sea Dogs, our minor leaguers experience the ideal environment to succeed and grow.”

The Sea Dogs are now in their 21st season at Hadlock Field, their 12th as an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox originally entered into an agreement with the Sea Dogs following the 2002 season, when Portland changed affiliations from the Florida Marlins.

 (photo credit: Rob Kavaler)