West Hartford First School District to Commit to State’s Green LEAF Program

West Hartford schools are turning over a new leaf, and going green.  The school district has become the first in the state to have every school principal agree to abide by the guidelines of the Connecticut Green LEAF program, which promotes increased environmental and sustainability education and health and wellness efforts.  LEAF stands for “Leading, Educating, Achieving and Fostering green healthy schools for all.”

According to the initiative’s website, green schools create healthy, productive learning environments for students and teachers. The site points out that studies show that green schools raise student achievement and save money, while improving the health of students and staff.  In addition, it states that environmental education provides a focus for learning in all content areas and builds critical thinking skills, and students are more engaged and become empowered to make a difference in their school and community and contribute to a vibrant economy and more sustainable communities.

Connecticut Green LEAF Schools is a collaborative effort of the CT Department of Education, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, CT Department of Public Health, CT Department of Construction Services, as well as many environmental and educational organizations.

The state can nominate up to four Connecticut Green LEAF Schools annually for the national Green Ribbon Schools award.  In April, the U.S. Department of Education honored three Connecticut schools as recipients of the 2013 Green Ribbon Schools designation:  Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School in New Haven, Common Ground High School in New Haven, and Environmental Sciences Magnet at Mary Hooker School, in Hartford.

The Green Ribbon Schools program is a U.S. Department of Education recognition program for K-12 schools that have made significant progress in reducing their environmental impact, improving student and staff health, and providing effective environmental education. This recognition is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about practices proven to result in improved student engagement, academic achievement, graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a government-wide aim to increase energy independence and economic security.

A brochure highlighting the Connecticut Green LEAF Schools program has been developed.  According to the website, Connecticut Green Schools include:

•        Common Ground High School (New Haven)

•        Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School (New Haven)

•        Environmental Sciences Magnet School at Mary Hooker (Hartford)

•        Staples High School (Westport)

•        The Foote School (New Haven)

•        Two Rivers Magnet Middle School (East Hartford)

•        Westover School (Midddlebury)

When the 16 West Hartford school principals signed letters of commitment this month, it marked the first time that an entire district in the state signed on to participation in the program.  Connecticut schools can participate at any time, according to the process:

• A school is interested in joining the CT Green LEAF Program and the principal signs on to Level 1 Principal's Commitment or Level 2 Principal's Committment
• The school notifies CT Green LEAF of their commitment and initiates their green team.
• Within a month, the school green team completes and submits the Self-Assessment Tool.   Schools scoring above a 60 may be eligible for nomination to the Green Ribbon Award.   Resources and supports are provided to help schools improve in all areas, including webinars, discussion boards, mentors, and professional development opportunities. Participating agencies are sharing their expertise to help schools.

CT Green Schools also includes a program for college campuses.

Students From West Hartford, Fairfield and Southport Among Top U.S. Winners at National History Day Competition

Over 2,000 Connecticut students recently ended the school year with a sense of accomplishment and a better understanding of the world around them thanks to History Day in Connecticut – and ten students from the state earned national recognition last week for their efforts.

 Through this rigorous annual academic program for grades 6-12, 2,000 students developed school history projects across the state. Of those, 1,250 went on to participate in District Contests across Connecticut, and over 400 competed in the State Contest on April 27 at the Old State House in Hartford.  Connecticut’s program is coordinated by the Old State House.

 The 2013 theme was “Turning Points in History:  People, Ideas, Events.”

 The 69 students who placed 1st or 2nd in various age groups at the State Contest represented Connecticut at the week-long National History Day Contest, held at the University of Maryland, June 9 - 13. Students competed in various categories, and according to age group (junior and senior divisions).  Categories included documentaries, exhibits, websites, papers, and performances.

 The top three finishers in each category at the national contest were recognized, and included  three Connecticut entries that including participation from nine students:

 Junior Group Exhibit - Second Place

Madeline Langdon, Claire Langdon, Emma Langdon Fairfield, CT, Greenfield Hill Girls School Teacher: Gina Ludlow Entry - The Connecticut Effect: How the Hartford Circus Fire Changed a Nation

Junior Individual Exhibit – Second Place

Samuel Porcello West Hartford, CT, Sedgwick Middle School Teacher: Jennifer Hunt Entry - The Hartford Circus Fire: A 10 Minute Turning Point Sparks Lasting Change

Senior Group Performance – Third Place

Pierce Barry, Annabel Barry, Isabella Altherr, Jaden Esse, Quinn Barry Southport, CT, Pequot Homeschool Teacher: Alison Barry Entry - The Tet Offensive: Turning Point in Vietnam, Turning Point in Journalism  

In addition, student Timothy Cohn from Southbury received the organization’s “George Washington Leadership in History” award for his Senior Individual Exhibit, “Washington and the French:  A Turning Point in the American Revolution.”  His teacher is Sharon Wlodarczyk.

Organizers say the History Day initiative is important because “students who think critically, understand how the past shapes the present, and know how to plumb history for answers to current issues make better citizens.”  Also, studies have shown that History Day participation helps students out-perform peers on standardized tests and develop the skills needed to succeed in work and college.

The Connecticut League of History Organizations and ConnecticutHistory.org encourage students to explore state history through their projects with help from local historical societies. The Connecticut Historical Society runs workshops and helps run the contests. Connecticut Humanities provides the major funding needed to provide 2,000 students with a rich and lasting academic opportunity.

 History Day in Connecticut is one of 54 affiliate programs of the renowned academic National History Day Program.  National History Day (NHD) correlates to the Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and the Technical Subjects.

Hands-Free Electronics Are Hazardous to Driver Safety, State Ban Proposed

For the second time in recent weeks, a major driving safety study has concluded that hands-free devices produce dangers much the same as hand-held cell phones for drivers.  The latest study comes from AAA, following a study by the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, reported by Connecticut by the Numbers earlier this month.

Connecticut teen driving safety advocate Tim Hollister, who was a member of the Governor’s Safe Teen Driving Task Force in 2007-8 and publishes a national blog for parents of teen drivers, is calling for a ban on the use of electronic devices while driving, citing increasing evidence of the dangers of distracted driving.  His proposal, outlined in The Hartford Courant prior to the release of the AAA study:  "no driver of a vehicle in gear shall use any electronic device to text, type, read, watch a video or make a phone call."

Hollister pointed out that six leading public health and traffic safety organizations (World Health Organization, National Transportation Safety Council, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association) “now agree that hands-free cellphone use is just as dangerous as hand-held.  Both cause cognitive blindness.”  The head of the National Transportation Safety Board agrees, having previously stated “we know that electronic devices that pull a driver’s attention away from his or her primary task are unsafe.”

Texting a friend verbally while behind the wheel caused a “large” amount of mental distraction compared with “moderate/significant” for holding a phone conversation or talking with a passenger and “small” when listening to music or an audio book, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found in the latest study, released this week, Bloomberg News and other national media widely reported.

Not a single state prohibits hands-free dialing, and neither state nor federal action appears on the horizon, despite initial efforts by NTSB more than a year ago.  In fact, just the opposite is true.  Even as evidence of hazards grows, so do the range of electronic options and efforts to develop more "connected" cars.

Using voice-to-text messaging, included in systems such as Ford Motor Co.’s Sync and Toyota Motor Corp.’s Entune, is more distracting to drivers than making calls with handheld mobile phones, the AAA found. The earlier study at Texas A&M also concluded that voice-to-text is as dangerous and traditional typed texting.

Two bills that offer responses to aspects of distracted driving – although not prohibiting the popular practice - were approved in the just-concluded Connecticut General Assembly session, according to media reports.

• The first would give prosecutors the ability to seek up to $1,000 in fines, over criminal penalties, if a distracted driver hits and injures a jogger, pedestrian, horseback ride, and other lawful “vulnerable” roadway user.
• The other bill adds distracted driving to the list of moving violations that would be made available to insurance companies. Currently, if someone disobeys the state’s distracted driving law, they pay a fine and the insurer doesn’t know about it.  The bill also increases fines and creates a task force to study distracted driving prevention.  Both await approval by Gov. Malloy.

Automakers have vigorously promoted voice-based messaging as a safer alternative to taking hands off the wheel to place a call or talk on a hand-held phone. The hands-free systems have not been opposed by the U.S. Transportation Secretary, but the head of the National Transportation Safety Board has expressed serious reservations.  Writing in the Washington Post in 2011, NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman pointed out that “studies published as early as 1997 and 2005 have shown that there is little difference between hands-free technology and handheld devices when it comes to cognitive distraction.”

About 9 million infotainment systems will be shipped this year in cars sold worldwide, with that number projected to rise to more than 62 million by 2018, according to a March report by London-based ABI Research.

With the addition of a new law passed in Hawaii this month, 40 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam have banned text messaging for all drivers using hand-held devices.  Hawaii becomes just the 11th state (including Connecticut, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands) to prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving.

Voluntary guidelines recently issued (April 2013) by the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), recommended specific criteria for electronic devices installed in vehicles at the time they are manufactured.  The guidelines include recommendations to limit the time a driver must take his eyes off the road to perform any task to two seconds at a time and twelve seconds total.

The back-to-back studies by the Texas Transportation Institute and AAA raise questions about those recently-issued recommendations.

Faces of Distracted Driving  USDOT video 

World Languages Being Cut by Elementary Schools, Despite Benefits

This month, the Windsor school board voted to eliminate two world language teachers at the elementary school level, which put an end to the district's elementary world language program, in a budget-cutting move.  A month earlier, the school board in Newington decided to delay the introduction of Spanish in lower elementary school grades in order to reduce the budget for the coming year.

Despite studies that have shown that language instruction beginning at the elementary school level provides numerous benefits for students, ranging from critical and creative thinking to improved performance on standardized tests and better  job prospects, school districts in Connecticut appear to be cutting back, although the state Department of Education does not have recent data to provide a clear picture of what is occurring.  The most recent data dates back to the 2007-08 school year.

A policy statement by the American Council on The Teaching of Foreign Languages earlier this year stated that “an early start to learning a second language, programs of immersion or dual language immersion, and long learning sequences show strong results in helping all learners” and  outlines how standards-based language learning does the following: develops literacy and numeracy, prepares learners in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) areas, engages learners through practical applications for special purposes and strengthens college and career readiness.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 30 percent of American high school students are enrolled in foreign language classes, and only 25 percent of American elementary schools even offer foreign languages. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages published an alignment of the National Standards for Learning Languages with the Common Core State Standards, adopted in Connecticut and many other states.  The guidelines include standards for reading, listening and viewing as well as writing, speaking and visually representing.

The guidelines also indicate that research demonstrates that “as students come to understand how language works through their learning of a second or third language, their understanding of and attention to language conventions and functions expands and has an impact on applications in their first language.”

Data on the SDE website – now six years old - indicates that the number of Connecticut schools providing world language instruction before grade 4 increased from 14 in 1993 to 85 in 2007.  The number of school districts in the state with world language in the early grades increased from 6 to 40.  Expanding the report to include world language instruction before grade 8, the number of schools grew from 98 in 1993 to 283 in 2007 and the number of school districts increased from 75 to 132.  Data after 2007-08 is not readily available.

Report Warns of Separate But Unequal Community Colleges

Community colleges "are in great danger of becoming indelibly separate and unequal institutions in the higher-education landscape," a Century Foundation task force warns in new report.

The report, "Bridging the Higher Education Divide: Strengthening Community Colleges and Restoring the American Dream," outlines a series of proposals aimed at shifting the patterns that result in four-year colleges' enrolling disproportionably more wealthy and white students while two-year colleges enroll a higher proportion of needy and minority students.

Among its recommendations, the group urges states and the federal government to provide additional funds to two-year colleges that serve the neediest students, much in the way the federal Title I program works for elementary and secondary schools.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the task force effort is premised on the notion that community colleges, which enroll about 44 percent of the nation's college population, are in many cases not serving students well now and will be ill equipped to handle future demands without radical change.  Research undertaken for the report found that, at some community colleges, almost two-thirds of the students are black, Hispanic, or members of other groups typically considered underrepresented in higher education.

The approach outlined in the report could not only create more-affordable college pathways for middle-class families and improve educational outcomes at community colleges, it could also give community colleges more political clout, the Chronicle reported.

Connecticut’s 12 community colleges have 58,228 students, according to the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities website.  According to a 2011 report by the now defunct Board of Governors for Higher Education, nearly two-thirds (62.1 percent in fall of 2010) of all Hispanic/Latino and African American students attending community college do so at four of the system’s 12 institutions – Capital Community College in Hartford, Gateway Community College in New Haven, Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport and Norwalk Community College – all situated within or near urban cities with large low-income and minority populations. These institutions also awarded more than two-thirds (68.9 percent) of the associate degrees conferred to Hispanic/Latino and African American students by the community colleges during the 2009-10.

The Board of Governors report added that “it is clear that there is no problem regarding access for minority students at the state’s community colleges; thus, the Department’s grant program designed to reward and support their diversity efforts will require that they focus solely upon the retention and graduation of targeted students.”   In 2011, the Connecticut Mirror reported that the state pays about $7,000 a year for each full-time student enrolled in one of the 12 two-year community colleges -- but only one out of every 10 full-time students who enroll seeking an associates degree or certificate will earn one in three years. That ranks Connecticut's community college graduation rate 47th in the nation, according to a report by the state Department of Higher Education.

Earlier this year, in March, the Board of Regents for Higher Education, which now oversees the state’s 12 community colleges and four state universities voted to increase tuition by 5 percent in the coming year, despite student protests.  Students at Connecticut's community colleges would pay 5.25 percent more. For a full time student, that's an increase of $188 more, for a total of $3,786, the Hartford Courant reported.

The report by the Century Foundation noted that in a survey, eighty-one percent of students entering community college for the first time saying they eventually want to transfer and earn at least a bachelor’s degree but just 12 percent do so within six years. Among low-income students with “high” qualifications for college (those who completed “at least Trigonometry”), 69 percent of students who began in a four-year institution earned a bachelor’s degree, compared with just 19 percent of those who started in a community college.

Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Foundation, questions how "we shower the most resources on the wealthiest college students and the least on the neediest," noting that the idea of reducing stratification by enhancing community colleges is an important focus in the report. The 22-member task force was led by Anthony W. Marx, the former president of Amherst College who now heads the New York Public Library, and Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College.

Partnership Encourages Girls Interest in Science

Girls of Innovation is a day-long annual program that inspires today's middle school students to consider studies in science and technology-related research, health services and business areas.  Sponsored by the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) and Covidien Surgical Devices and held at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, this year’s event will be on Saturday, June 15 from 8:30 to 2:30.

The Girls of Innovation Science Challenge is for girls, entering grades 7 & 8 in the 2013-2014 school year, to explore science and its challenges in a fun, interactive way. There is no cost to attend. Parents/guardians must pre-register participants and receive the confirmation e-mail from CTC.

An offshoot of CTC's Women of Innovation program, Girls of Innovation inspires today's middle school students to consider studies in science and technology-related research, health services and business areas.

Volunteers working with the girls during the day are drawn from the Connecticut Women of Innovation program and CTC membership.  They are there to talk with the students about their experiences and careers and to guide them through the challenges created by the CT Science Center staff scientists.   Working individually and in teams, the girls explore scientific concepts and do hands-on science.  Additional time to explore the science exhibits throughout the Connecticut Science Center is also provided.

The Connecticut Technology Council is a statewide association of technology oriented companies and institutions, providing leadership in areas of policy advocacy, community building and assistance for growing companies. Speaking for over 2,000 companies that employ some 200,000 residents, the Connecticut Technology Council seeks to provide a strong and urgent voice in support of the creation of a culture of innovation.

“By establishing Girls of Innovation, CTC is demonstrating once again its commitment to its mission, which benefits all of Connecticut's citizens. Girls of Innovation lives up to its name, and puts us further down the path toward a culture of innovation,” said Beth Alquist, Chair of the Women of Innovation Planning Committee and a Partner at the law firm of Day Pitney LLP.

Connecticut Well Represented in National Mental Health Dialogue

Keeping a commitment made in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School murders last December, President Barack Obama launched a national mental health dialogue at the White House Monday aimed at increasing understanding and awareness of mental health, and Connecticut organizations are involved in the efforts from the outset.

Among the initiatives announced during the day-long conference was a new national website, www.mentalhealth.gov, and a series of public meetings to be held around the country under the “Creating Community Solutions” rubric.  Two of those community conversations will be in Connecticut – in Hartford and Norwalk – and one of the six national organizations coordinating the initiative has its headquarters in East Hartford.

The Center for Civic Engagement at the Hartford Public Library will organize the Hartford event as part of the National Dialogue on Mental Health. In response to unprecedented need for civic engagement, Hartford Public Library created the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). The CCE aims to create a community change process, foster development of a community vision, contribute to a stronger, more successful community, and establish a civic engagement model.

The dialogue in Norwalk will be co-sponsored by the Fairfield County Community Foundation and the Southwest Regional Mental Health Board.  The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes philanthropy to build and sustain a vital and prosperous community where all have the opportunity to participate and thrive.  The Southwest Regional Mental Health Board is dedicated to ensure a quality system of comprehensive, recovery oriented mental health and addiction services that enhances the quality of life and well being of all residents of Southwest Connecticut.

The Creating Community Solutions initiative will allow participants to learn about mental health issues - from each other and from research - and to develop plans to improve mental health in their own communities, according to officials.   The national dialogue is to include young people who have experienced mental health problems, members of the faith community, foundations, and school and business leaders.

Among the six national “deliberative democracy” organizations involved in developing the Creating Community Solutions program is East Hartford-based Everyday Democracy, according to federal officials.  Everyday Democracy helps people organize, have dialogues, and take action on issues they care about, so that they can create communities that work for everyone. Its ultimate goal is to contribute to the creation of a strong, equitable democracy that values everyone's voice and participation.    Details about Everyday Democracy's role in the initiative and how partner communities and organizations can get involved will be available on the organization’s website in the coming days.

Details regarding the date, location and registration information for the Hartford and Norwalk sessions will be available on a new website, at www.creatingcommunitysolutions.org.  The site is part of the national mental health website, which was created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.   Thus far, community dialogues have been scheduled in New Mexico, California, Alabama, and Arizona, and an additional 29 sites – including the two in Connecticut – are making plans.   A Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CreatingCommunitySolutions, has also been launched.

Materials to support the conversations are being developed and will shortly be available for download, including an Information Brief, Organizing Guide and Discussion Guide.  In addition to Everyday Democracy, the organizations working together to design and implement Creating Community Solutions are America Speaks, Deliberative Democracy Consortium, National Issues Forums, the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse.

In addition, a number of national associations are asking their members or affiliates to organize local events. These groups include the United Way, American Bar Association, National League of Cities, YWCA, National School Public Relations Association, 4-H, Grassroots Grantmakers, Alliance for Children and Families, National Physicians Alliance, Association for Rural and Small Libraries, and the International Association for Public Participation, among others.

Dangers of Distracted Driving Attract Renewed Attention; Responses Pending, Urged

There was a time when smoking was permitted in restaurants, when seat belt use was not mandatory, when children were not required to wear helmets when bike riding.  Then the science of safety interceded, and state lawmakers – in Connecticut and elsewhere - took notice.  The convenience of technology, however, may be another matter.

Writing in The Hartford Courant this week, teen driving safety advocate Tim Hollister, who was a member of the Governor’s Safe Teen Driving Task Force in 2007-8 and publishes a national blog for parents of teen drivers, called for a ban on the use of electronic devices while driving, citing increasing evidence of  the dangers of distracted driving.  And a new study by a Texas university concluded that voice-to-text is as dangerous and traditional typed texting.

Hollister points out that six leading public health and traffic safety organizations (World Health Organization, National Transportation Safety Council, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association) “now agree that hands-free cellphone use is just as dangerous as hand-held.  Both cause cognitive blindness.”

With the addition of a new law passed in Hawaii last week, 40 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam have banned text messaging for all drivers using hand-held devices.  Hawaii becomes just the 11th state (including Connecticut, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands) to prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving.

Not a single state prohibits hands-free dialing, and neither state nor federal action appears on the horizon.  In fact, just the opposite is true.

Even as evidence of hazards grows, so do the range of electronic options.  Ford is one of a number of companies aggressively marketing electronic devices that offer more in-car options.  The company’s voice activated Sync technology, available beginning with 2012 models, includes hands-free calling, 411 business search, audible text messaging, and internet connectivity.  Hollister points out that “on tv and the internet, advertisements tout devices that enable texting by allowing drivers to attach their cellphones to the windshield so the screen is aligned with their view of the road.”

Connecticut Action Pending

Two bills that offer responses to certain aspects of distracted driving are now progressing through the Connecticut General Assembly, which adjourns on Wednesday, June 5.  The Associated Press reported that the House of Representatives voted 139-1 last week to add distracted driving to the list of moving violations that would be made available to insurance companies.  Currently, if someone disobeys the state's distracted driving law, they pay a fine and their insurer does not know about it.  The bill also increases fines and creates a task force to study distracted driving prevention. The legislation now moves to the Senate.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill establishing a fine of up to $1,000 for a motorist who "fails to exercise reasonable care on a public way" and seriously injures or causes the death of so-called vulnerable users, such as a bicyclists. The bill now moves to the House, the AP reported.

Federal Guidelines 

The dangers of technology-enabled distracted driving are so insidious – and increasing so rapidly – that the federal government has launched a website, www.distraction.gov, solely devoted to educating the public about the severe risks of distracted driving.  Among the statistics cited:

• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)
• Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. (VTTI)
• Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind. Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use. (VTTI)
• In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver. An additional, 387,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.
• 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
• 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. (Pew)

A new study from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University reveals that sending those messages using voice-to-text software is just as distracting as looking down at your phone and typing messages by hand.

Voluntary guidelines recently issued (April 2013) by the Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), recommended specific criteria for electronic devices installed in vehicles at the time they are manufactured.  The guidelines include recommendations to limit the time a driver must take his eyes off the road to perform any task to two seconds at a time and twelve seconds total. The guidelines also recommend disabling several operations unless the vehicle is stopped and in park, such as:

• Manual text entry for the purposes of text messaging and internet browsing;
• Video-based entertainment and communications like video phoning or video conferencing;
• Display of certain types of text, including text messages, web pages, social media content.

The department has also issued Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving, a comprehensive plan on the subject.   The use of all cellular phones while driving a school bus is prohibited in 14 states thus far, including Connecticut, and the District of Columbia.  A federal proposal in 20ll that would have extended a ban on cell phone use – including hands-free – to all vehicles has not been enacted into law nationwide, or in any state.

The Washington Post reported 18 months ago that “Vehicles are being transformed into mobile communications centers, with cellphones, DVD players, access to Facebook and Twitter, Global Positioning System devices, and satellite radio.”

 “Unfortunately, drivers are being encouraged to do everything but drive,” Jonathan Adkins, spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association, told the Post. “It’s a sign of the pressures of modern-day life to do 10 things at once. However, driving is a complex task, and our message continues to be that a singular focus is needed.”

West Hartford, Farmington, Cromwell Earn "Top Town" Titles

 West Hartford has been ranked as the Greater Hartford region's number one community in a new analysis published in the June issue of Hartford magazine.   Rounding out the top 10, in order, are South Windsor, Glastonbury, Manchester, Bristol, Farmington, Simsbury, Middletown, Avon and Enfield. The publication is produced by CT1Media, which also publishes The Hartford Courant.

The rankings are based on information highlighting more than three dozen factors, from school test scores to crime rate, property taxes to median home price, voter turnout to number of retail establishments. In 12 overall categories, the data was weighted to determine rankings broken down by small, medium and large towns, in addition to the overall results.

 

• The top-ranked large towns (over 30,000 population) are West Hartford, South Windsor, Glastonbury, Manchester and Bristol.  
• The leading medium-sized towns (15,000-30,000 population) are Farmington, Simsbury, Avon, Berlin and Southington.
• The top small towns (under 15,000 population) are Cromwell, Granby, Canton, Burlington, and East Granby.

Here’s the breakdown of the champions, by category (and size), according to Hartford magazine:

• Best for Families/Schools: West Hartford (large), Simsbury (medium), and Granby (small).
• Best for Seniors: West Hartford (large), Farmington (medium), and Cromwell (small).
• Young and Hip: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Hebron (small).
• City Living: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Cromwell (small).
• Country Living: Glastonbury (Large), Simsbury (medium), and Granby (small).
• Bang for the Buck: Bristol (large), Windsor (medium), and Windsor Locks (small).
• Most Affluent:  West Hartford (large), Avon (medium), and Granby (small).
• Most Educated:  West Hartford (large), Farmington (medium), and East Granby (small).
• Lowest Crime:  Glastonbury (large), Simsbury (medium), and Hartland (small).
• Leisure Life:  Hartford (large), Simsbury (medium), and Hebron (small).
• Fastest Growing: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Cromwell (small).

West Hartford, en route to earning the top spot, finished first in five categories, second place in four, along with two fifth place finishes (Country Living and Lowest Crime) and one sixth place (Bang for the Buck).  Among the medium sized towns, Simsbury won four categories, and Southington and Farmington each  won three.   Among the small towns, Cromwell won four categories and Granby won three.

In addition to the rankings, the magazine outlines how they arrived at the rankings, explaining that data was gathered from a number of sources, “including the schools (we parsed 84 individual test score results for each town), town profiles compiled by Connecticut Economic Resource Center (www.cerc.com), Connecticut State Department of Education, Connecticut Secretary of the State and Nielson Pop-Facts 2013.”

New Video Seeks to Improve Teen Driving Safety, Recalls Tragic Death of West Hartford Teen

Kohl's Tween Safe Program is currently focusing on the dangers inherent in teen driving.  The  program's website features a new video with the father and sister of  Reid Hollister, a 17-year-old West Hartford resident who was killed in a one-car accident in 2006.  The video, prepared in association with the Connecticut Children's Medical Center,  aims to alert teens and parents to the realities and risks of teen driving.

Reid’s father, Tim Hollister, became a leading advocate for better-informed parental decision-making about teen driving in the months after Reid’s tragic death.  He was a leading member of the Governor’s Safe Teen Driving Task Force in 2007-8, which led to legislative passage of a series of stringent laws in Connecticut, including graduated teen  licenses, to lessen the risks of car crashes involving teens.

The short video, with Reid’s dad and sister on camera recounting discussing Reid’s life, and the circumstances surrounding his death, are the featured subject on Kohl’s Tween Safe website, and excerpts of their comments, along with noteworthy statistics, are also be telecast on local television stations as a public service announcement.

Tim Hollister’s blog, "From Reid's Dad," was launched in September 2009 and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Public Service Award, April 2010, for "extraordinary efforts to assist parents in making informed decisions about safe teen driving." The site includes a model teen driving agreement for teens and parents, available for download. and helpful information and suggestions regarding teen driving and parental decision-making.

The Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, in partnership with Kohl’s Cares®, has launched Kohl’s Tween Safe, a website and public information initiative to provide information aimed at preventing all types of injuries. The goal is to share the latest news and research to enable tweens, parents and coaches to make informed decisions.

On December 2, 2006, 17-year-old Reid Hollister, died after a one car accident.  He was driving on a three-lane Interstate highway (I-84 in Plainville) that he likely had not driven before, on a dark night just after rain had stopped, and apparently traveling above the speed limit, “he went too far into a curve before turning, then overcorrected, and went into a spin.” As the blog describes it, “While the physics of the moment could have resulted in any number of trajectories, his car hit the point of a guardrail precisely at the middle of the driver's-side door, which crushed the left-side of his chest.”

Among the statistics highlighted on the site:

• Safer teen driving starts with informed, conservative decisions about whether teens get behind the wheel of a car in the first place. Teaching teens to operate a vehicle safely is Step 2.
• Driving is the leading cause of death for people under age 20 in the United States.
• Safer teen driving is everyone's concern. In 2010, nearly 2,000 teen drivers died, but their crashes killed more than 3,000 passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians.

The video featured on the Kohl’s website was recorded recently when Connecticut Children’s Medical Center approached the Hollister family about making a video about Reid’s story, for teen drivers and their parents.

Earlier this year, the blog reported the following:  “The Governors’ Highway Safety Administration has issued a new report, New Study: Teen Driver Deaths Increase in 2012 (Feb. 26, 2013), based on preliminary fatality statistics for 2012, and the key finding should send a big shiver up our collective national spine:  after years of decline, deaths of 16 and 17 year old drivers increased in the first six months of last year. From 2011 to 2012, the national number of 16 year old driver deaths increased from 86 to 107 and the number of 17 year old deaths from 116 to 133.”