Two Sons of CT Use State University Program to Drive Local TV Meteorology Careers

Among the meteorologists reporting on the Blizzard of 2015 on Connecticut's local television stations are Dan Amarante and Sam Kantrow, who began their careers as student meteorologists-in-training at Western Connecticut State University and now can be seen on FOX Connecticut and NewsChannel 8.  Amarante has lived in Connecticut his entire life, growing up in Cheshire, and graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. While at WCSU, he produced and anchored many school run weather broadcasts for the University’s website, as well as forecasts for the school’s radio station. Western Connecticut State University has the state's only meteorology program, which was run for many years by WTNH-TV meteorologist Dr. Mel Goldstein.  The WCSU website is chock full of charts and maps highlighting the latest conditions.The site includes the latest  Geostationary Satellite Images from the Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin and the National Weather Service radar mosaic Northeast Sector loop.  Greater detail is offered in Surface Charts from the National Weather Service and a series of Upper Air charts courtesy of Unisys Weather.  The school has a Weather Center, where students produce forecasts and work with clients while studying meteorology.

After college, Amarante got his start at WGGB ABC40/FOX6 in Springfield, MA, where he was the weekend weather anchor.  He is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, the highest certification from the American Meteorology Society.

Meteorologist Kantrow joined "Storm Team 8" on WTNH in February, 2011, first as weather producer and web meteorologist, and is now the on-air meteorologist for the weekend editions of Good Morning Connecticut.  Born and raised in Hamden, he is a graduate of WCSU and has a B.S. in Operational Meteorology and Weathercasting. Before coming to News 8, Kantrow interned at NBC Connecticut.  The WTNH website reports that "Sam’s weather interest began at a very young age, when the tornado that went through Hamden on July 10, 1989 narrowly missed his house! Ever since then, he has loved the weather, and anything about the weather. Sam grew up watching the meteorologists on News 8 and always wondered what it would be like to be in their shoes."

WCSU's Bachelor of Science in Meteorology is the only such program in Connecticut, and one of only a few in the Northeast. The university  has developed a foundation of courses in mathematics, computer science, physics, astronomy and earth science, combined with meteorology, to prepare you for television and radio weathercasting, operational forecasting, or for teaching or research in the atmospheric sciences.  Students in the bachelor's program  earn credits while performing TV/radio weathercasts or doing real-time forecasting for clients in the university's on-campus Weather Center, according to the WCSU website.

The program meets recommendations for an undergraduate meteorology degree program from the American Meteorological Society.  Additionally, students graduating with this B.S. Meteorology degree will have all the course requirements for entry level positions as a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, the single largest employer of meteorologists in the country.

The university also offers a graduate program - a Master of Arts in Earth and Planetary Science, Meteorology/Climatology Option.

Last October, WCSU hosted the 5th Annual Tri-State Weather Conference on campus in Danbury, presented by the university's Meteorology Program  and co-sponsored by the WestConn Student Chapter of the AMS, the New York City/Long Island Chapter of the AMS, NOAA/National Weather Service/Upton, N.Y and NOAA/National Weather Service/Taunton, MA.  The purpose of the conference was to enhance education, professional development and communication among private and public sector meteorologists, researchers, educators, students, emergency management officials, and weather enthusiasts.  Amarante, who joined FOX Connecticut in early 2011, was master of ceremonies for the conference at his alma mater.

The meteorology program at Western also includes among its graduates television meteorologists in a number of cities across the country. In addition to his work in Connecticut, Amarante has filled in as a weather producer at CBS 2 in New York City, and became snowed in at the station during the Blizzard of 2010.  Kantrow, who will be on-air reporting on the Blizzard of 2015 beginning at 3 AM on Tuesday, may find himself in similar circumstances, if forecasts for the day's snowfall come to fruition.

Nationwide Bicycle Fatalities Increase; CT Takes Steps to Improve Safety

The number of bicyclists killed on U.S. roadways is increasing, according to a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). GHSA’s Spotlight on Highway Safety: Bicyclist Safety indicates that yearly bicyclist deaths increased 16 percent between 2010 and 2012, while overall motor vehicle fatalities increased just one percent during the same time period. While bicyclists killed in motor vehicle crashes increased in 22 states between 2010 and 2012, six states – California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Michigan and Texas – represented 54 percent of all fatalities.  In 2012, Florida had the highest proportion of motor vehicle related deaths that were bicyclists (5 percent), followed by California (4.3 percent) and Massachusetts (4.3 percent).

Connecticut, according to the report, had 7 bicyclist deaths in 2010, 8 in 2011 and 4 in 2012.  The state was one of 25 states to have the number of fatalities drop from 2011 to 2012.

Bicycling is being used more for commuting, which is affecting the age of accident victims according to the study. In 2012, adults 20 and over comprised 84 percent of bicycle fatalities. That compares to adults making up only 21 percent in 1975.  Bicycle fatalities are increasingly an urban phenomenon, accounting for 69 percent of all bicycle fatalities in 2012, compared with 50 percent in 1975.

Until 2010, the number of cyclist fatalities annually had been dropping steadily since 1975 nationwide. The recent increase correlates with a 62 percent surge in bicycle commuting since 2000, according to 2013 Census Bureau data, as governments have promoted cycling as a way to reduce traffic, curb vehicle emissions and improve public health.

"The increase in cyclist fatalities on the road is tragic, but unsurprising, given the growth of the driving population and the number of cars on the road,” said Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director of Bike Walk Connecticut.   “Add to that the very real problems of distracted driving, aggressive driving, and street designs that put cyclists and pedestrians at risk. This is why we need complete streets, much better enforcement of speeding, distracted driving, and share the road laws, and the vulnerable user law that Connecticut just enacted."

Earlier this month, the state Department of Transportation (DOT)  issued a Complete Streets policy statement, which was praised by Bike Walk Connecticut.  The policy expressly promotes safe access for all users by providing a comprehensive, integrated, connected multi-modal network of transportation options.  DOT's policy is intended to improve safety and mobility and enhance Connecticut’s economic competitiveness by enabling communities to become livable, walkable, bikeable, drivable, efficient, safe and desirable.

The new GHSA report indicated that in many states and urban areas, engineering measures are being adopted to accommodate bicycles on the road, “with the dual aim of protecting cyclists from collisions with motor vehicles, while encouraging cycling for its health and environmental benefits.”

In announcing the new Connecticut policy, DOT Commissioner James Redeker noted that Route 44 in East Hartford will undergo a “road diet” in 2015 to provide bike lanes, enhance vehicular safety and efficiency and improve pedestrian and transit accommodation throughout the corridor. The Department is also outfitting 50 train cars with bike racks on the New Haven Line operating between New Haven to New York City.

In its fifth year before the Connecticut legislature, the Vulnerable User bill passed earlier this year, and took effect on this month (on Oct. 1).  The new law requires a fine to be imposed on reckless motor vehicle drivers who cause the death or serious injury of a pedestrian, cyclist, wheelchair user, or other “vulnerable users” who were using reasonable care.

The GHSA report’s author, former Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Chief Scientist Dr. Allan Williams, analyzed current and historical fatality data to develop the bicyclist crash patterns.

Connecticut Ranks #6 in USA in Energy Efficiency, Continuing Top Ten Streak

Connecticut ranks as the #6 state in the nation in energy efficiency, according to an analysis by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).  A new report by the Council found that Massachusetts continues to edge out California as the most energy-efficient state in the nation for the fourth year in a row.  Connecticut has been a steady top-ten state since the annual survey began eight years ago, but dropped one slot this year. Rounding out the top 10 are Rhode Island  (the state’s first time in top five), Oregon, and Vermont (all tied for #3); Connecticut (#6); New York (#7); Washington (#8); Maryland (#9); and Minnesota (#10).

Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, and Wisconsin are the four most improved energy-efficiency states for 2014. Indiana and Ohio fell the furthest in the rankings due to decisions by legislators in both states to roll back energy savings targets.  They were among 23 states that dropped in the state-by-state rankings.  At the bottom of the rankings, the five states most in need of improvement on energy efficiency in 2014 are North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Mississippi, and Alaska.

Overall, states are ramping up their commitments to energy efficiency, the report indicated, as governors and lawmakers in state capitals across the nation continue to take major steps to lower energy costs, reduce pollution, and save consumers money by increasing their states’ energy efficiency.  Sixteen states rose in the rankings this year, in the 8th annual edition of the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

Connecticut was ranked fifth a year ago, and sixth the previous year.  In 2011, the state ranked #9 and in 2010, ranked #8.  State officials noted that Connecticut continues to be a leader in the nation, and the strong ranking is likely to improve in the coming year as increased funding for energy efficiency programs, not fully reflected in this year's survey, have an impact. Also noted was the state's decision to invest in infrastructure, such as charging stations throughout the state for vehicles, which was not an area of focus for the report but will be beneficial for Connecticut consumers.

The State Energy Efficiency Scorecard benchmarks states across six policy areas – utility policies and programs, transportation initiatives, building energy codes, combined heat and power development, state government-led initiatives, and state-level appliance standards. In total, states are scored on more than 30 individual metrics. Data is collected from publicly available sources and vetted by state energy offices and public utility commissions, according to the Council.  The 2014 report found that nationwide, total budgets for electricity efficiency programs in 2013 reached $6.3 billion. Adding that to natural gas program budgets of $1.4 billion, total efficiency program budgets were estimated to be more than $7.7 billion in 2013.

The leading states in utility-sector energy efficiency programs and policies were Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont, and the leading state in building energy codes and compliance was California. California and New York led the way in energy-efficient transportation policies.

Maggie Molina, director of ACEEE’s Utilities, State, and Local Policy program, said: “Smart energy efficiency choices maintain the same comfort, convenience, and quality of life that consumers want and expect. Energy efficiency is also good for business. State action on energy efficiency improves bottom lines, drives investment across all sectors of the economy, creates jobs, and offsets the environmental harms created by the energy production system.”

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors.

Tri-State Weather Conference at WestConn Features Local Meteorologists

For weather experts and enthusiasts, all roads lead to Danbury on Saturday. The Fifth Tri-State Weather Conference will be held on from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Science Building on the mid-town campus of Western Connecticut State University on White Street in Danbury. The conference is presented by the Meteorology Program at Western Connecticut State University and co-sponsored by the WestConn Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the New York City/Long Island Chapter of the AMS, NOAA/National Weather Service/Upton, N.Y and NOAA/National Weather Service/Taunton, MA.

The purpose of the conference is to enhance education, professional development and communication among private and public sector meteorologists, researchers, educators, students, emergency management officials, and weather enthusiasts.

Research posters highlighting high impact weather events that affected the Tri-State region of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will be on display.

The master of ceremonies for the conference will be Lonnie Quinn, the chief weathercaster of CBS 2 News at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. weekdays. He also serves as the national weather anchor for “CBS This Morning” Saturday. Quinn is a native of Cheshire, who joined WCBS-TV in 2007 after a five year run at WTVJ in Miami.

Among the presenters at the conference will be Ryan Hanrahan, a Connecticut native from Guilford who joined the NBC Connecticut First Alert Weather Team in December 2005 and currently serves as the weekend evening meteorologist and as a general assignment reporter on weekdays. His interest in the weather was sparked by the 1989 Hamden tornado, hurricanes Gloria and Bob, along with the blizzards of '93 and '96, according to the station’s website.

Topics of presentations during the conference include:

Doppler Radar Signatures Associated with Connecticut Tornadoes 1995 – present. Ryan Hanrahan, NBC Connecticut – West Hartford, CT

Exploring Tri-State Climate Variability and Change Dr. David A. Robinson, New Jersey State Climatologist, Rutgers University

Hurricane Sandy - Boundary Layer Structure Affects on Winds and Storm Surge  Jeffrey S. Tongue, NOAA/National Weather Service, Upton, NY

NWS Weather Ready Nation initiative and how science is a critical and integral part Dr. Jason Tuelll, Director, Eastern Region NWS, Bohemia, NY

Operational Applications of GIS - The Development of A Flash Flood Potential Index for the Tri-State Area Nancy L. Furbush and Adrienne Leptich, NOAA/National Weather Service, Upton, NY

The GOES-R Satellite:  A New Eye in the Sky Eleanor Vallier-Talbot, NOAA/National Weather Service, Taunton, MA

Tornado Outbreak Quincy Vagell, Freelance Meteorologist – Naugatuck, CT

Tracking Hurricanes and Saharan Dust Storms from Space Jason Dunion, NOAA Hurricane Research Division in Miami, FL

Winter 14-15...Will Our Long Standing Ideas Win Out? Joe D'Aleo, Weatherbell Analytics LLC

Conference registrations are open to the public and may be submitted online atwww.wcsu.edu/weatherconference. The registration fee is $30 per person, and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments during breaks.

Quinn is not the only Cheshire native to handle weather forecasting on local television in the region.  The Western Connecticut campus is familiar turf for meteorologist Dan Amarante, who has been with FoxCT since January 2011.  He remembers being 8 years old and venturing outside during thunderstorms, much to his mother’s dismay, according to the station’s website. He spent a good chunk of his childhood reading weather books and watching tornado chasing videos.

Dan graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. While at WCSU, he produced and anchored many school run weather broadcasts for the University’s website, as well as forecasts for the school’s radio station. After college, he began working at WGGB ABC40/FOX6 in Springfield, MA, where he was the weekend weather anchor. He also has filled in as a weather producer at CBS 2 in New York City, and became snowed in at the station during the Blizzard of 2010.

CT Ranked #20 in U.S. in Commuters Driving Alone; Average Commute is 25 Minutes

In Connecticut, 78.6 percent of commuters drove alone in their own car, truck or van, ranking the state #20 in the nation.  Data compiled by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation also indicated that 8.2 percent carpooled, 3 percent of the state’s commuters walk to work, 4.8 percent use public transportation, and 4.1 percent worked from home. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) included the data in State Transportation Statistics 2014, a statistical profile of transportation in the 50 states. The data was included in the 12th annual edition of the report, a companion document to the National Transportation Statistics (NTS), which is updated quarterly on the BTS website.

Nationally, in comparison, 76.3 percent of Americans drove alone; 9.7 percent carpooled; 5 percent rode transit; 2.8 percent walked; 4.4 percent worked at home; and 1.8 percent used other modes.

The daily commute to work takes 24.8 minutes on average, for Connecticut residents.  The national average was 25.7 minutes using data compiled in 2012, the most recent year available. 

The smallest percentage driving along in their vehicle?  Alaska (66.2%), Hawaii (65.2%), Oregon (71.2%), Massachusetts (71.9%), and Washington (72.2%).  The highest?  Alabama (85.3%), Tennessee (83.6%), Mississippi (83.5%), Ohio (83.3%), South Carolina (82.9%), and Kentucky (82.7%).

Only seven states had a mean travel time to work of less than 20 minutes:  Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.  South Dakota’s 16.7 minutes was the quickest commute.

CT’s 40 Fastest Growing Tech Companies Achieve Statewide Recognition

Connecticut’s fasted growing technology companies will be the center of attention Thursday evening as the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) and Marcum LLP spotlight the 2014 Marcum Tech Top 40. Now in its 7^th year, the annual list features privately and publicly held companies, including some newcomers to the top 40. The 2014 winners are predominantly privately held companies, but 12 public companies also made the list, including Rogers Corporation, Gartner Inc. and Alexion Pharmaceuticals. That’s a slight drop from a year ago, when 14 public companies made the list.

Geographically, Fairfield County is home to 16 winning companies this year, followed by Hartford County and New Haven County, both with ten companies. For Fairfield and New Haven counties, the count increased by two businesses from a year ago; for Hartford County, the number was unchanged from last year. 

The selected companies have at least $3 million in annual revenue and a demonstrated record of growth in each of the preceding four years.  Four of the businesses have over $1 billion in revenue.

The Marcum Tech Top 40 recognizes technology leaders in six industry sectors, including Advanced Manufacturing, Energy/Environmental, Life Sciences, New Media/Internet/Telecom, IT Services, and Software. This year’s winners range from newcomer VRSim, Inc., a creator of virtual reality training tools for industrial and manufacturing applications, to Priceline.com, a leader in mobile travel.

Bruce Carlson, CTC’s President and CEO added, “Connecticut is proud of its remarkable heritage of innovation and invention. Job growth in Connecticut is going to come from the technology sector and these Tech Top 40 companies are a great example of the range of technology companies that are growing substantially in Connecticut.”

Among the names on this year’s list:  Frontier Communications, based in Stamford, providing communications services to residential and business customers across the country (in the news this year for the proposed purchase of AT&T’s business in Connecticut); and Bolt Technology Corporation, based in Norwalk, the leading worldwide developer and manufacturer of seismic energy sources, synchronizers and underwater connectors used in offshore seismic exploration for oil and gas; and Fitlinxx, based in Shelton,  an industry leading provider of wellness applications, wireless activity monitors, and health tracking devices that motivate people to live active and healthy lifestyles.

The city with the largest number of companies on the Top 40 list this year is Stamford, with six, followed by Norwalk with four, Shelton with three, and Wallingford, South Windsor, Simsbury and New Haven, each with two businesses on the list.  Other towns with a top 40 high tech business are Torrington, Danbury, West Hartford, Cheshire, Guilford, Greenwich, Plainville, Middlebury, New London, Killingly, Middletown, Fairfield, Madison, Branford, Farmington, Glastonbury, Windsor, Orange and East Hartford.

“Technology companies have a set of shared challenges that range from capital-raising and complex revenue reporting to intellectual property management and international expansion.  Whether they are private enterprises or Fortune 500 companies, this year’s Marcum Tech Top 40 winners all demonstrate management excellence and market foresight,” said Alex Discepolo, a Tax Partner in Marcum’s New Haven office and Practice Leader of the Firm’s High Technology Services Group.

The October 2 awards program, being held at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, will include an exhibition featuring the Marcum Tech Top 40 companies. Six category winners will be announced, and one company will be named overall winner for demonstrating the greatest percentage growth in revenue across all the technology verticals.

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 2,500 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.

 The Tech Top 40:

Advanced Manufacturing

• APS Technology Inc – Wallingford
• Bolt Technology Corporation – Norwalk
• Dymax Corporation – Torrington
• Revolution Lighting Technologies Inc. – Stamford
• Rogers Corporation – Rogers 

Energy/Environmental/Green Technology

• FuelCell Energy, Inc – Danbury
• Proton OnSite – Wallingford

 IT Services

• Cervalis LLC – Shelton
• Datto Inc. – Norwalk
• Gartner Inc. – Stamford
• Information Services Group Inc. – Stamford
• IT direct, LLC. – West Hartford
• VLink Inc. – South Windsor

Life Sciences

• Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – Cheshire
• Bio-Med Devices, Inc. – Guilford
• Metrum Research Group LLC. – Tariffville

 New Media/Internet/Telecom

• Chief Executive Group – Greenwich
• EasySeat, LLC – Plainville
• Frontier Communications – Stamford
• HealthPlanOne LLC – Shelton
• iSend, LLC – Middlebury
• Job Target, LLC – New London
• M2 Media Group – Stamford
• Priceline.com, Inc. – Norwalk
• Reality Interactive, LLC. – Middletown
• TVEyes Inc. – Fairfield

Software

• Clarity Software Solutions, Inc. – Madison
• Core Informatics, LLC – Branford
• Evariant, Inc. – Farmington
• Evolution1, Inc. – Simsbury
• Fitlinxx, Inc. – Shelton
• Higher One, Inc. – New Haven
• KenCast, Inc. – Norwalk
• Link Systems Inc. – Stamford
• Shoptech Corporation – Glastonbury
• Square 9 Softworks Inc. – New Haven
• SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc. – Windsor
• Tangoe Inc. – Orange
• TicketNetwork - South Windsor
• VRSim, Inc. – East Hartford

Most Exciting in Connecticut? New Haven, New London, Hartford Lead the Way

Wondering where the most exciting places are in Connecticut? If New Haven is the first place that comes to mind, you’re right. New Haven was named the “Most Exciting Place in Connecticut,” followed by New London, Hartford, Stamford, and Manchester in an analysis by the real estate website Movoto. Described as “the most thrilling, the most rousing, and the most downright exciting,” the top 10 list for Connecticut includes five Fairfield County municipalities and many of the state's largest cities:

1. City of New Haven 2. City of New London 3. City of Hartford 4. City of Stamford (tie) 4. Town of Manchester (tie) 6. City of Bridgeport 7. City of Norwalk 8. Town of West Hartford 9. Town of Greenwich 10. Town of Westport

The website’s analysis pointed out that “New Haven had a ton of nightlife and music venues per capita” and was “much more densely populated than most other places in the state.” New London scored points in the website’s analysis for its “high percentage of young folks (just like New Haven, 36 percent between 18 and 34), and for its high number of nightlife options, music venues, and arts per capita.” New London ranked No. 1 in both nightlife and music venues, and No. 2 for its arts.

The highlights for Hartford noted that the Capitol City is “the second-most densely populated place in Connecticut; a good portion of that population is between the ages of 18 and 34- 31 percent, to be exact. With bars like Pourhouse and the Russian Lady, music venues like Webster Theatre, and so many museums, galleries, and festivals we can’t even name them all, Hartford is certainly way more exciting than just insurance.”

In order to come up with the list of 10, the website started out with a list of all the places in Connecticut with populations of 10,000 or more, according to the U.S. Census (2010), which provided 38 towns and cities. Then, they used the Census and business listings to assess:

• Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)
• Live music venues per capita
• Active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, etc.)
• Arts and Entertainment per capita (movie theaters, festivals, galleries, theaters, etc.)
• Fast Food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better)
• Percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better)
• Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (the higher the better)
• Population density (the higher the better)

The municipalities were then ranked with scores from one to 38, where the lower the score, the more exciting the place.

Two Greater Hartford communities, in addition to the city, made the list – Manchester and West Hartford.

“Manchester also scored highly for its number of arts and entertainment options per capita, like the unique MCC on Main,” a program of Manchester Community College located on Main Street in the heart of the town. West Hartford, the website reported, “seemed to find its excitement, not in the nightlife … but in lots of healthy options,” including sports stores, gyms, galleries, theaters and “tons of restaurants.” Westport “really shined” in the number of yoga studios, sports stores, running clubs, parks, and places to get fit.”

Falling just outside the top 10 were West Haven, Stratford, Torrington, Middletown, Groton, New Britain, Storrs, Danbury, Derby and Wethersfield.

CT Ranks in Top 10 for Lowest Total Carbon Emissions, Lowest Per Capita Emissions

Connecticut ranks in the top 10 among the states in both the lowest total state energy related carbon dioxide emissions and emissions per capita.  The state ranked second, tied with California and just behind New York, in the lowest emissions levels per capita.  In total state energy related emissions, Connecticut placed in a tie for tenth place. Greenhouse gas emissions for all sources were considered in compiling the data, according to Bloomberg.com, which published the rankings last month, based on 2011 U.S. Census population estimates and statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.  Sources of emission include electric power production, industries, residential heating and transportation.

The lowest state emission levels per capita, in metric tons of carbon dioxide, are New York (8.1), Connecticut (9.2), California (9.2), Oregon (9.3), Vermont (9.6), Massachusetts (10.0), Washington (10.1), Idaho (10.1), Rhode Island (10.5) and Maryland (11.0).  The highest levels per capita were in Wyoming (112.6), North Dakota (79), Alaska (52.7) and West Virginia (51.7).

In total state energy related carbon dioxide emissions, by million metric tons, the states with the lowest emission levels are Vermont (6), Rhode Island (11), Delaware (12), South Dakota (14), New Hampshire (16), Idaho (16), Maine (17), Hawaii (19), Montana (32), Connecticut (33) and Nevada (33).

The states with the highest emission levels were Texas (656 metric tons), California (346), and Pennsylvania (245).

Feds Disband National Blueway Program, CT River is Sole Survivor

It seemed like a good idea at the time. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ken Salazar designated the Connecticut River as the nation’s first National Blueway, in recognition of conservation efforts underway. That was two years ago – the first of what was intended to be a series of similar designations across the country. Fast forward to 2014. The fledgling federal program was abruptly discontinued by current Ag Secretary Sally Jewell, after a departmental review. Since it’s auspicious start, only two official designations were made.

The first was the Connecticut River, which runs through Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. The second was the White River, which spans more than 700 miles through Missouri and Arkansas. But that second designation was revoked after local opposition. And now the entire program is history, with the Connecticut River grandfathered in as the short-lived program’s sole survivor.

The National Blueways System was created in May 2012 under President Barack Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. The program was voluntary, didn’t include any new regulations, and a designation brought no additional funding, the Associated Press has reported. It was intended to promote watershed conservation and support sustainable and healthy water supplies.

Federal officials insisted the program would not include any new protective status or regulations, but opponents in Missouri and Arkansas — largely conservative groups — weren’t convinced, the AP reported. Published reports indicated that some feared the conservation recognition program would lead to increased regulation and land seizures. That led first to the revocation of the White River designation last summer, followed by the end of the entire initiative earlier this year.

In riverfront ceremonies in Hartford on May 23, 2012, Interior Secretary Salazar designated the 410-mile-long Connecticut River as America's first National Blueway, saying restoration and preservation efforts on the river were a model for other American rivers. The blueway designation was intended to support existing local and regional conservation, recreation and restoration efforts, and does not establish a new protective status or regulations for a river, Salazar said at the time.

He was joined at Riverside Park in Hartford by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal; U.S. Rep. John Larson; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Terrence “Rock” Salt; Friends of the Silvio O. Conte Refuge Chairman Patrick Comins and other members of the conservation and business communities.

That would be the program’s high water mark, so to speak.

“The National Blueways Committee will be deactivated, but the department will continue to encourage collaborative, community-based watershed partnerships that support sustainable and healthy water supplies,” a department spokeswoman told the AP this year, explaining the department’s decision to end the program. She reiterated that the Connecticut River will maintain the National Blueway designation it received two years ago – and now will be the only one in the country.

Mystic Aquarium Honored at White House Ceremony with National Medal

Mystic Aquarium has earned some high profile attention this month, recognized at a White House ceremony hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) honored Mystic Aquarium as the only aquarium or zoo nationwide to receive its National Medal for Museum and Library Service for 2014. Impressively, Mystic Aquarium was one of four Connecticut finalists considered for the National Medal, along with the Hartford Public Library, Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury and Otis Library in Norwich. A total of only 30 institutions across the country were finalists, from which ten winners were ultimately chosen.

The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for service to their communities. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent agency of the U.S. government with the mission to create strong libraries and museums that connect people with information and ideas, is celebrating its 20th year of saluting institutions that make a difference for individuals, families and communities.

Mystic Aquarium gives back to the community with a direct financial impact of $72.2 million annually. In addition, the aquarium buys $5 million in services and supplies from Connecticut businesses annually. The institution’s conservation efforts protect the vitality of Long Island Sound, an important revenue-generating natural resource for Connecticut. It is the largest informal science education provider in Connecticut and Southeastern New England, reaching 100,000 students annually.

The work of Mystic Aquarium was brought to the attention of Susan H. Hildreth, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, by some of Connecticut’s most prominent cultural, education and government leaders. Rodney A. Butler, Mystic Aquarium Trustee and Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, nominated the Aquarium for the National Medal, noting the pivotal role the Aquarium plays with its education and cultural exchange program for Native American high school students from the village of Point Lay, Alaska, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in southeastern Connecticut.

A major criterion for the award is the institution’s impact on members of its local community. Dr. Stephen M. Coan, President and CEO of Sea Research Foundation, the parent of Mystic Aquarium, who accepted the National Medal from Mrs. Obama, said: “We are honored to receive this prestigious award. We are committed to our educational and public engagement programs that make Mystic Aquarium not only an enjoyable family destination, but also a research facility dedicated to protecting our oceans and its aquatic creatures.”

U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Murphy supported the nomination along with Stonington Public Schools, which cited the Aquarium’s exemplary work with young people with intellectual disabilities. Michael Cotela, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford extolled the Aquarium’s critical educational programming for underserved communities.

Founded in 1973, Mystic Aquarium has a collection of 4,000 animals, including such species as beluga whales and the endangered African Penguin.

PHOTO (Left to right): Justin Richard, Stephen M. Coan, Mrs. Obama.