Economic Impact of Arts & Culture in Hartford Region Gains Notice

When the MetroHartford Alliance and the Greater Hartford Arts Council brought business and arts leaders together at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts this week, it was the numbers that carried the day, touting the business benefits of the arts and culture industry.  The national study focused on regions across the country using data developed by Americans for the Arts.  In the Greater Hartford region, 123 local arts institutions participated, with more than 800 audience surveys. The top ten stand-out facts about the annual economic impact of arts and culture in the Greater Hartford area, which was defined as Hartford County and Tolland County:

1. Total Arts and Culture Industry expenditures in the Greater Hartford area:  $230.4 million
2. Full time equivalent jobs supported: 6,879
3. Revenue generated to local government: $5,184,000
4. Revenue generated to state government:  $16,244,000
5. Spending by Arts & Heritage Organizations;  $148,242,871
6. Event-Related Spending(total)excluding the cost of admission:  $82,005,472
7. Average Spending per person: $20.35 ($17.50 from residents of the region; $30.02 from those who reside outside the region)
8. Total Attendance:  4,028,850  (3,110,272 from within the region; 918.578 from outside the region)
9. Estimated aggregate value of volunteer hours:  $7,506,865 (7,258 volunteers donated a total of 351,445 hours to nonprofit arts and culture organizations).
10. Greater Hartford’s arts and cultural community ranks in the top 10% of metro areas across North America.

The findings also noted that of those surveyed:

• 48% of those attending a cultural event, and who live in the Greater Hartford area, would have traveled to a different community in order to attend a similar cultural experience.
• 60% of those who live outside the immediate region said the same.

The report concluded, therefore, that if the money wasn’t being spent in Hartford, it would be spent elsewhere.  The report’s overall  bottom line:  arts and culture is “an industry that supports jobs, generates government revenue, and is a cornerstone of tourism.”

The national study included 182 regions include 139 individual cities and counties, 31 multi-city regions, 10 states, and two arts districts and represent all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Greater Hartford was one of the cities that participated in the survey, which was conducted using 2010 data.

The study results were announced at the MetroHartford Alliance's November Rising Star Breakfast, which  featured Randy I. Cohen, Vice President of Research and Policy for Americans for the Arts, and a local panel that included Catherine Smith, commission of the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development; Thomas E. Deller, director of Hartford’s development services and Michael Stotts, managing director of Hartford Stage. The event was sponsored by The Phoenix Companies, Inc. and included remarks from Cathy Malloy, executive director of the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

National Park System Growing Rapidly, Coltsville Awaits OK

When U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar visited Hartford a little more than a year ago, the hope was that his support would push plans for a National Park designation for Hartford’s Coltsville complex over the goal line in Congress.  The project has been advocated for more than a decade by state political leaders in Washington, most visibly by First District Congressman John B. Larson.  The slow pace of final approval may be related to what USA Today recently described as a “growth spurt” in the national park system. Among states with pending National Park Service sites: Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio. Ten sites have been added since May 2004; a record 33 were added in 1978. Only Congress can create national parks, but the president can designate national monuments. A commission that proposed goals for the National Park Service's future recommended in 2009 that the process for selecting new sites be streamlined.

“The Coltsville National Historical Park Act,” introduced in Congress two years ago and again last year, would establish a  National Historical Park after certain conditions are met, including the donation of at least 10,000 square feet in the East Armory to be used for a Colt museum and the donation of the land within the proposed Park boundaries. The bill would also give the Secretary of the Interior authority to enter into written cooperative agreements with the various land owners living in Coltsville as well as with various museums in order to acquire different artifacts for display in the Colt museum.

The proposed park has two goals: commemoration and economic revitalization. “The Coltsville National Historical Park Act of 2011 is designed to preserve the important story of Samuel Colt and boost our economy by revitalizing downtown Hartford,” Larson and Senator Joseph Lieberman wrote, in an op-ed in the Hartford Courant. “A recent National Parks Conservation Association study found every federal dollar invested in national parks generates at least $4 in benefits to state and local economies. Connecticut deserves this boost.”

Hartford waits, but is certainly not alone.

East Coast Greenway Charts A Downtown Path in Hartford

You wouldn’t expect to see a sign designating Capitol Avenue in Hartford, on the corner of Sisson Avenue, as the route of the East Coast Greenway – but nonetheless, there it is.  Affixed to a utility pole, not a tree. The East Coast Greenway (ECG) is being established as a 3,000 mile traffic-free (not quite yet) trail that will connect cities and towns from the Canadian border at Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida.  Linking together publicly-owned, firm-surface trails, the ECG is envisioned as a safe route for exercise, recreation and transportation for the 30 million Americans who live near the route and as a tourism destination for millions of visitors.  It includes 15 states (and the District of Columbia), 25 major cities, and scores of smaller cities, towns, villages and counties.

The 198-mile Connecticut section of the East Coast Greenway route shows off the diversity of Connecticut from coast to inland, city to country. The eastern part of the state, sometimes referred to as the “last green valley” is the most rural area in the corridor between Boston and Washington, DC.   A series of rail trails, including the Air Line Trail North and the Hop River Trail, run through this region connecting historic mill towns like Willimantic and pass through forests and farmlands between.

In the western half of the state, the Greenway connects the major cities of Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford and allows users to experience history while touring the Farmington Canal Greenway from Simsbury to New Haven. Southwest of New Haven along Long Island Sound, the interim on-road route hugs the shore through the suburbs to the New York line.

Approximately 28% of the 198-mile route is complete as traffic-free trail, and another 28% is in development. There remains much work ahead,  including the Merritt Parkway Trail, envisioned to parallel the Merritt Parkway in Fairfield County, the Farmington Canal Greenway between Southington and Farmington, and the route from Hartford to Simsbury.

Among the partners working to bring the project to completion in the state of Connecticut are:

• Bike Walk Connecticut
• Connecticut Bicycle Coalition
• Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• Connecticut Department of Transportation
• Connecticut Explorer’s Guide
• Connecticut Forest & Park Association
• Connecticut Greenway Council
• Farmington Canal Rail-to-Trail Association
• Farmington Valley Trails Council 
• Greenwich Safe Cycling
• Merritt Parkway Trail Alliance
• South West Regional Planning Agency

This past August, a group of 37 riders traveled from Portland and rode over 400 miles in seven days to Hartford, where they were greeted by Mayor Pedro Segarra.

Dog Owners May Be Next in State’s “Still Revolutionary” Tourism Marketing

Who let the dogs out?  Apparently, Connecticut’s two-year, $27 million tourism campaign is seriously considering doing just that.  So says Kip Bergstrom, Deputy Commissioner of the State Department of Economic and Community Development.  Bergstrom, interviewed by Diane Smith of CT-N for an hour-long discussion (with live audience) as part of the Old State House’s lunchtime conversation series, suggested that dogs – and their owners - may be the next group to boost the state’s tourism numbers and dollars. The state’s tourism team, branding the state as "still revolutionary,"  is starting to compile “dog-friendly places” throughout Connecticut, to add to the state’s tourism website.  Why?  One of Connecticut’s advantages in attracting tourists is that it is a “drive-to” site, rather than a “fly-to” site, with a huge population close by, Bergstrom points out.  Which means the family pet – often a dog – can come along for the ride, and the visit.

It’s a big market, Bergstrom told the CT-N audience, “and we can immediately begin to reveal places you can go in Connecticut with a dog.”  Among the major plusses - the 800 miles of hiking trails in Connecticut - perfect for dog and owner to go for a walk.  Bergstrom, the owner of six dogs, admitted “don’t be surprised if there’s a dog in the next ad.”

Bergstrom also noted that in deciding on the new “still revolutionary” brand, the state and its tourism team of vendors spoke with more than 1,500 people in the state.  He said that the brand should last for decades, propelled by “ambassadors” – individuals throughout the state repeating their own stories of Connecticut’s “places that matter.”

Bergstrom said that the campaign “has already paid for itself” through increased tourism, with more advertising and targeted messaging ahead.  The expectation is that by campaign’s end, the state will receive $3 in state and local taxes for every $1 spent in the marketing effort.  Taking note of the location of the interview, Bergstrom said “democracy is not a noun, it’s a verb.”

Long Island Sound Coastal Clean-up Volunteers Get Ready

Save the Sound staff have been diligently preparing for the 27th annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) that kicks off on Saturday, September 15, 2012.  It's Save the Sound’s tenth year as the Connecticut coordinator for Ocean Conservancy's worldwide cleanup effort and the organization, a project of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, has planned nearly 40 volunteer events over the next few weeks. Details about upcoming volunteer cleanups are listed on the Save the Sound website's calendar, including events in Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Milford, West Haven, New Haven, Branford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook, Waterford, New London, and Groton.

Long Island Sound contributes more than $9 billion to the regional economy each year.  Last year, Save the Sound brought together 2,665 volunteers, who removed more than 29,000 pounds of trash from 54 miles of coastline.

Long Island Sound is one of the nation’s great estuaries, a place where fresh water from inland waterways flows into salt water from the ocean.  The Sound is a vital economic and recreational resource and provides habitat for diverse animal and plant life.  With 10 percent of the nation’s population living within 50 miles of the Sound, pollution is one of the biggest issues threatening the health of the Sound and the plants and animals that live there.

This year Save the Sound organizers are hoping to get even more people involved, and additional information is available on Facebook, or by emailing Save the Sound's Kierran Broatch at kbroatch@savethesound.org or (203) 787-0646, x113.

EnvisionFest Hartford on September 29 Set to be Record-Setting Celebration

On one day in Hartford later this month, people can participate in setting a Zumba world record, climb 96 historic steps saluting soldiers and sailors lost generations ago, and be among an anticipated 1,000 bicycle-riders and walkers in the Capital City.  The event?  The iQuilt Partnership and supporting arts, businesses and community organizations are coordinating EnvisionFest Hartford on September 29.  It is a city-wide event filled with hundreds of free activities and countless opportunities to experience the vibrant arts community and get a sneak preview of the planned transformation along the proposed GreenWalk.

Among the scores of events:

• A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break the current world record for the largest Zumba class, previously set by 3,105 participants in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The challenge is set for 1 p.m. and is perfect for children of all ages, especially those with a competitive spirit! Parents and grandparents will also love the cardiovascular benefits Zumba has to offer.
• Learn the living history, connection to the Civil War and current efforts for restoration of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch just across from the State Capitol near the Bushnell Park Carousel. Climb 96 steps for amazing views of Hartford. Free tours conducted 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The EnvisionFest celebration starts with Bike/Walk Connecticut’s Hartford Parks Tour, where an estimated 1,000 riders will begin their tours on Elm Street at 9 a.m.

"Connecticut Creates" Invites Conversation in Hartford, Bridgeport, Danbury

The grassroots initiative Connecticut Creates continues to extend the conversation, and is looking for people to give voice to what’s happening in Hartford, Bridgeport and Danbury during informal gatherings on Thursday, August 23. Connecticut Creates is a conversation about people who are actively creating a new future for themselves and those around them. The group behind Connecticut Creates sees a future for the state that is designed by the people, for the people. By finding and supporting Connecticut residents who are actively taking charge of their own destiny, the initiative seeks to generate “more hope and possibility in our state and in each other.”

Up next: Thursday, August 23, from 6 to 8 PM there will be talk about plans for the fall and sharing of stories of people who inspire, like Kristin Brooks of Clinton. Those who attend will help us shape Connecticut Creates. Locations are:

• Downtown Yoga: 57 Pratt Street, Hartford, CT 06103
• Melt: 7 Lafayette Circle, Bridgeport, CT 06604
• Two Step Grille: 5 Ives Street, Danbury, CT 06810

Individuals can RSVP on Eventbrite and share the event with friends on Facebook and beyond.

The first open forums took place on Thur., June 7 at: Javapalooza, Middletown, The Grove in New Haven, Bean & Leaf in New London and Fat Cat Pie Co., in Norwalk. For post-event recaps, read the blog post.

Connecticut Creates is in the process of identifying and profiling people (through video and on our blog) in business, government, education, nonprofit and arts/culture/tourism who are designing a new destiny for themselves and, in the process, having a positive impact on those around them. In the works are David Murphy of One Little Boat and Oil Drum Art, and Bun Lai of Miya's Sushi.

Organizers says there’s much more out there, and they’d like to hear about ‘em.   The goal this week:  widen the circle and broaden the conversation.

Gymnastics National Championships to Return to Hartford Next Summer

USA Gymnastics has announced that the 2013 U.S. Gymnastics Championships will return to Hartford’s XL Center next summer a quick follow-up to a very successful debut in the Capitol City in 2010 that featured future Olympians many of whom are now household names. Tickets for the four-day competition, to be held Aug. 14-17 - which are USA Gymnastics' national championships - went on sale immediately, to take advantage of heightened interest in gymnastics in the weeks following the London Olympics.  There was a recent published commentary urging Connecticut to focus on attracting sports-related competitions and tournaments, and the announcement underscored the opportunities now available to the state.

The competition schedule for 2013 in Hartford is: Aug. 14 – men's gymnastics, juniors at 1 p.m. and seniors at 6:30 p.m.; Aug. 15 – women's gymnastics, juniors at 1 p.m. and seniors at 6:30 p.m.; Aug. 16 – men's gymnastics, juniors at 1 p.m. and seniors at 6:30 p.m.; and Aug. 17 – women's gymnastics, juniors at 2 p.m. and seniors at 7:30 p.m. All-session tickets for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships range in price from $125-$395.

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra said, "The U.S. Gymnastics Championships are a signature event for the City of Hartford -- one that I have worked hard to recruit back to Connecticut's Capital City. It's exciting for residents and beneficial for Downtown businesses."

The 49th Annual USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show is a three-day event open to the entire gymnastics community. Held in conjunction with the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, National Congress provides a unique opportunity for presentations, demonstrations and educational seminars on a variety of topics and a large exhibitor's hall with additional business opportunities.

Local News Buffeted by Technology, Ownership, Regulators & Courts

The way in which people get their news information continues to evolve rapidly, as reflected in data highlighted by the National Conference on Citizenship, reporting that 23% of adults nationwide get the latest news on at least two mobile devices – and noting that 44% have smart phones and 18% own a tablet – numbers that will surely continue to grow. Of those with digital devices, 70% get their news from a desktop or laptop, 51% from a smartphone and 56% from a tablet device.  The increasing impact of mobile devices and social media in the dissemination of news is outlined at the organization’s – you guessed it – website.

LED BY WFSB

Among those tuning to local television in the region recently, Hartford’s WFSB Channel 3 had a strong Nielsen ratings period for the month of July, according to The Laurel.  Eyewitness News was ranked #1 in the market for each of the station’s newscasts beginning at 4:30 AM and holding top stops from 5-6 AM and 6-7 AM and then at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 PM.

COURANT?

Over at FOX Connecticut, which physically relocated to a joint operation with The Hartford Courant on Broad Street in Hartford when CT1 Media was formed by Tribune Co., owner of both media outlets, the future continues to unfold more outside than in Connecticut.  News reports regarding the long-running Tribune Co. bankruptcy case reached a key milestone last month when U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey in Delaware said he would approve a plan that will transfer ownership of the media company to a group of hedge funds and banks.

If and when that occurs, new owners would like move to get the company out of Chapter 11, and seek approval from the Federal Communications Commission in Washington to transfer Tribune's TV licenses to them. Because Tribune Co. owns newspapers and broadcast stations in several markets, including Hartford, the FCC must grant waivers from its restrictions on ownership of multiple media outlets in the same city.

Before Tribune Co., which owns 23 TV stations, went private in 2007, the FCC granted a permanent waiver to the company for its Chicago media holdings. The FCC also granted temporary waivers in Los Angeles, New York, South Florida and Hartford.  But new waivers are required with a change in ownership, and some are urging filed the FCC to deny Tribune Co.'s waiver requests, according to media reports.

Connecticut is #26 in Levels of Biking, Walking; #24 in Fatalities

There were 27 fatal bicycling accidents in Connecticut between 2005 and 2010, and the total number of biking-related crashes around the state during that five-year span was 4,276, the Hartford Advocate is reporting, citing official state data.  State officials also report that between 2005 and 2009, there were about 5,300 pedestrian-related traffic accidents in Connecticut The Tri-State Transportation Campaign recently issued an analysis of pedestrian accidents in Connecticut between 2008 and 2010 that showed there were 121 pedestrian deaths in that time frame.

The state’s Department of Transportation is beginning to respond.  The DOT announced recently that a 2.75-mile stretch of Burnside Avenue in East Hartford (part of Route 44), between Main and Mary Streets, will be redesigned to reduce the number of travel lanes for vehicles and to install bike lanes.  Much attention has been paid to the section of roadway following a series of fatal bicycle-car collisions that took the lives of three East Hartford cyclists during the past two years.  The Hartford Courant has reported that the DOT considers the plan the first of its kind in the state – a state road redesign aimed at improving bicyclist and pedestrian safety.

Earlier this year, Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report, produced by the Alliance for Biking & Walking, ranked all 50 states (and the 51 largest U.S. cities) on bicycling and walking levels, safety, funding, and other factors.  Connecticut ranked #26 among the states in levels of bicycling and walking.  In fatalities, the state ranked #24.  Among the reports noteworthy statistics:

• Seniors are the most vulnerable bicyclists and pedestrians. Adults over 65 make up 10% of walking trips, yet comprise 19% of pedestrian fatalities. This age group accounts for 6% of bicycling trips, yet 10% of bicyclist fatalities.
• Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just 7 jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects. Cost benefit analysis show that up to $11.80 in benefits can be gained for every $1 invested in bicycling and walking.
• While bicycling and walking fell 66% between 1960 and 2009, obesity levels increased 156%.
• On average, the largest 51 U.S. cities show a 29% increase in bicycle facilities since the 2010 report.

All of which underscores the need to improve bicycling safety, as biking becomes more popular across the country.