Route 1, Route 5 Are Deadliest for Pedestrians in Connecticut
/The Tri-State 
Transportation Campaign has gone through statistics of fatalities on Connecticut’s roads between 2008 and 2010 and rates U.S. Route 1 in Westport and Route 5 in East Hartford as the most dangerous in the state.
One hundred twenty one deaths have been reported on Connecticut streets over the three-year-span. Of those, seven were on Route 1 , or Boston Post Road (including 3 in Westport), and four have been on Route 5 (including 3 in East Hartford).
There have been more deaths on the roadways in New Haven County than any other county, according to the report. In 2010, there were 13 pedestrian deaths in both Hartford and New Haven counties. The analysis does not include highways and other roads where pedestrians are prohibited. The mission of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign is to reduce dependency on cars in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
Proposal Extends Access to Care4Kids Benefit for Unemployed
/Connecticut Voices for Children, a statewide public education and advocacy organization, has testified in support of a legislative proposal that would extend the eligibility period for individuals in the state’s Care4Kids program - for parents looking for work after a job loss - from two to six months. In supporting the measure, Voices pointed out that in 2010, 64 percent of Connecticut’s unemployed workers were out of work for 15 weeks or more, and half of all unemployed workers where looking for work for 27 weeks in 2009 and 19 weeks in 2008. The average job search in Connecticut in 2010 lasted 36 weeks, up from 26 weeks in 2009 and 19 weeks in 2008. The data for 2011 has not yet been compiled.
10 Year Low for Nonprofit Fundraising in CT
/The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy reports that in 2011, nonprofit organizations in Greater Hartford, Greater New Haven and Fairfield County ran the lowest number of fundraising campaigns and had the lowest combined fundraising goals in the past 10 years. The combined total of the 50 campaigns set goals of just over $344 million, down nearly 30% f
rom $492 million in 2010. The reports on the three regions include detailed information on 51 major fundraising campaigns in the state.
The Council's report notes that of the 22 major capital campaigns that ended since a year ago, 12 met their stated goals, 5 organizations decided not to proceed with their campaigns, and others simply made due with less. Among the 43 campaigns that are continuing from a year ago, the majority are re-evaluating their goals, extending the length of their campaigns or seeking alternate financing.
Cable Coverage Is High; Broadband Is State's Next Target
/The Hartford-New Haven television market is the 30th largest in the country, with a population of 2.6 million and just over 1 million television households. Cable penetration - the number of tv households with cable television - is 82 percent, among the highest in the country.
Satellite penetration stands at 14%.
As traditional television content becomes increasingly available on the Internet, more attention is being paid to broadband availability in the state. Broadband commonly refers to high-speed Internet access that is always on and faster than previous dial-up access.
A recent report by the Connecticut Academy for Science and Engineering found that there are segments of the population in CT that do not have broadband connectivity due to factors including "lack of interest or understanding of the importance of internet access," the lack of digital literacy, or costs associated with broadband connections. Among the recommendations: CT should establish a broadband cabinet that focuses on state policy, bringing together existing resources to encourage strong coordination. The report also noted that "making broadband technologies accessible to all residents will be an engine of growth for the state."
Technical School Preparation in CT, by the Numbers
/After meeting five times, holding one public hearing, and filing a 34-page report and recommendations, the work of the state’s Task Force on the Technical High School System is complete. Even as legislation is considered based on the findings, the numbers are worth a second look, as priorities are considered and jobs remain the state's preeminent focus. In the report’s appendix one gets a clearer sense of the educational resources available, by category, across the system, which serve about 11,200 full-time high school and adult day students with programs in 30 occupational trade areas. Looking at the number of shops in the technical high schools, topping the list one finds 17 for automotive technology; 16 each for culinary arts, carpentry, and electrical; 13 for manufacturing technology; and 12 for plumbing and heating.
There are 10 trade specialties with a single shop across the system, including automated manufacturing technology, media production, bioscience and environmental technology, pre-electrical engineering and baking. Overall, there are seven trade clusters with a total of 189 shops in the 19 schools.
Athletic Trainers Key to Concussion Education and Safety
/The Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors will meet March 22-23 in Rocky Hill. Among the tenets of the organization's mission statement is a commitment to "disseminate appropriate and pertinent information on national and state athletic issues specific to the administration of high school athletics." Among the speakers will be former NFL official Jim Tunney, who spent three decades in the NFL, working four Super Bowls and some of the league's best-remembered classics. One of the conference sessions, "Obtaining and Maintaining an Athletic Trainer," takes on greater importance with the increased attention being paid to the ramifications of concussions among athletes, from youth to pros. A 2011 studyof U.S. high schools with at least one athletic trainer on staff found that concussions accounted for nearly 15% of all sports-related injuries reported to ATs and which resulted in a loss of at least one day of play.
Connecticut was among the first states to approve concussion education and prevention legislation, in 2010.
Rare Diseases Focus of CT-Based National Organization
/Statistics from the Danbury-based National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) indicate that 30 million Americans - nearly 1 in 10 people - are diagnosed with one of about 7,000 rare diseases. It has been estimated that approximately 357,000 people in Connecticut are facing rare diseases. Consider their families, friends, neighbors and co-workers, and the number of people impacted grows considerably. It has been further estimated that approximately 80 percent of rare diseases are genetic in origin, which translates to ab
out 285,600 people in Connecticut.
NORD is a federation of voluntary health organizations committed to the identification, treatment and cure of rare diseases through education, advocacy and research, with national headquarters in Danbury and offices in Washington D.C. Only about 200 of the rare diseases have treatments currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which leaves a vague and often lengthy path to treatment and insurance coverage. That's where NORD steps up to help patients and their families.
Connecticut Convention Center Numbers Strong
/Attendance at Connecticut Convention Center events rose by 50 percent in 2011, compared with the previous year — setting a record for the facility, which opened overlooking the Connecticut River in Hartford to much fanfare in 2005.
More than 333,570 visitors attended events at the convention center last year, according to the Capital City Economic Development Authority. Records also were set for total revenue, up 29 percent compared wit
h 2010, and hotel room nights increased 24 percent over the same period.
What's coming up? The Connecticut Music Educators Conference and the New England Square & Round Dance Convention, both in April, and the Connecticut Conference on To
urism in May, among dozens of events booked for the coming months. Numerous events are booked years in advance at the facility, some as far out as 2015.
No word on whether the increase has anything to do with the change in colors highlighted on the convention center website, with the new blue-and-teal logo supplanting the original orange-and-red toned scheme.
New London Main Street Brings Jobs, Economic Growth
/The organization "New London Main Street" reports a 22 percent increase in net new jobs and a 25 percent increase in net new businesses between June 2007 and December 2011, despite the national recession. Over that same period, there was a 44 percent increase in investment downtown - about $50 million - most of which came from the priva
te sector (92 percent). The positive numbers, appearing in a recent article published in The Day of New London and authored by John Simone of the Connecticut Main Street Center, underscore the effectiveness of policies that promote and encourage comprehensively managed downtown revitalization.
New London Main Street is a nonprofit ( (501 ( c ) ( 3 ) ), volunteer-driven organization committed to revitalizing New London's historic downtown. The organization's goal is to build community through activities and programs that enrich the cultural fabric, preserve and enhance historic streetscapes and support and expand the economic base of the city center.
