Coming Up!

By Catie Talarski

Happy Monday! I had the great privilege of spending time at a very large arch this weekend.   I’m thinking Connecticut could use an arch.   “Gateway to New England”. ?  Just a thought.  Back to work…

Here’s what’s coming up this week, February 28 to March 4 2011.

MONDAY: Emerging Adults
Step aside “quarter life crisis” – there’s a new term for 20-somethings in that transition phase of their lives.  He calls it “emerging adulthood”.  Dr. Jeffrey Arnett claims that in the past half century, the experience of people aged 18 to 29 has changed dramatically – at least in some societies.  Most young people now postpone marriage and parenthood until at least their late twenties, and spend their late teens through their mid-twenties in self-focused exploration.  Trying out different possibilities in love and work.   Today, where we live, we’ll hear from Dr. Arnett – and from a panel of “emerging adults”.   And we want to hear from you – is it better that young people are living at home longer, getting married later, and taking more time to “figure themselves out”?

TUESDAY: The Search for Quality Educational Leadership
Leadership in school systems is more important than ever before – with districts struggling to fulfill both local educational needs, comply with edicts from the federal government, and find money to do it all.  We’ll look at the job of superintendent, and ask what it takes to find the right leader in the schools to run your “race to the top.”

WEDNESDAY: Women’s Reproductive Rights and Health
In 1961, Estelle Griswold, president of Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, opened a birth control clinic to dispense contraceptives — a bold act of civil disobedience that changed the course of history of family planning legislation.  It resulted in the 1965 case of Griswold v. Connecticut, where the US Supreme Court removed one of the last serious barriers to family planning.  Now, the Republican House has set out to reverse this progress with a vote to ban all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, to eliminate the Title X family planning program, and to cut many other health services for millions of women and children.  Coming up, we’ll about what these cuts mean for the future of family planning.

THURSDAY : Food Stamps
The number of people receiving food stamps is up 14.2% from a year ago.  Now more than 43 Million people using food stamps nation-wide.  The need for assistance is greater than ever, but recent reports show that Connecticut ranks as one of the worst states in the nation in terms of processing food stamp applications on time and paying out accurate levels of benefits.  As a result the state could face financial sanctions.  Today we’ll talk to members of the Department of Social Services about how they administer the program to learn why Connecticut faces challenges and how the program functions differently in other states.  And we’ll talk to leaders of several local community-based organizations about how outsourcing some DSS responsibilities would affect the state’s needy citizens.

FRIDAY: Theater Censorship
Last month a production of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” met opposition by Waterbury school administrators for its frequent use of racial slang.  Many top theater directors and artistic directors rallied to the cause to advocate for the educational value of the play, despite its provocative content.  Today we’ll look at the educational value of theater in high school and ask where you draw the line between challenging and inappropriate material.  We’ll look at a recent production of “Chicago” at Simsbury High School that has generated controversy to see how they navigated this tricky topic, and we’ll check in with the director of Wilton High School’s “Voices in Conflict” a play that generated heated debate by taking on the topic of the Iraq war.

Difficult Days For Hartford Public Schools

by John Dankosky – It’s been a strange few days for the Hartford Public Schools, a system working to overcome some of the worst educational inequality in the nation.  Steven Adamowski, the current superintendent, has instituted far-ranging reforms that completely redesigned some schools, offered “choice” to city parents about where to send their kids, and publicly battled with teachers over seniority.  All the while, he’s been planning to exit the district this summer – leaving his key deputy, Christina Kishimoto, as the likely choice to succeed him.

As WNPR’s Jeff Cohen reported over the weekend, David Medina, spokesman for both the board of education and Adamowski, made a series of phone calls to prominent and influential members of the Hartford community, lobbying on Kishimoto’s behalf.  Many of these people found this outreach “extremely inappropriate.”  Others, it seems, didn’t.

But when Mayor Pedro Segarra called a Tuesday press conference to question the search process, and call for a “national search” for the next superintendent,  the board decided to cancel it’s evening meeting, where Kishimoto was expected to be tapped.  Here’s what the mayor said:

“For the sake of having a process that will not undermine any superintendent’s credibility moving in, and in order to accommodate interests of transparency, interests of trying to have a broader base of candidates from which we can select, I am asking the board of ed to take this step of converting their process to a national search.”

Prompting this response to WNPR from Jim Starr of the organization Achieve Hartford!

“You know, I was surprised, I guess a little disappointed.  Clearly if there was some concerns of this, it could have been done well in advance of today.  Whether that’s a week, two weeks, several weeks in advance, I think that would have been reasonable — to weigh in at that point.”

And this, from Board of Education Chairman David MacDonald, who told NBC Connecticut:

“I do think the Mayor’s actions were very disrespectful to the process. I mean he was concerned about the process, but he had ample opportunity to weigh in on this earlier instead of waiting until the last minute.”

It’s all led The Hartford Courant’s Helen Ubinas – one of the best daily observers of life in the city – to write this:

Take a shady game of spokesperson favorites, a cowardly school board, a reactionary mayor and what do we have? One. Hot. Mess.

Meanwhile, in the Connecticut Mirror, Bob Frahm reports that an arbitration panel rejected Hartford Public School officials request to loosen seniority rules in laying off teachers.  Governor Dannel Malloy has called for a change to tenure rules, something Superintendent Adamowski has been trying to do in Hartford. The panel’s decision is a loss for both of them.

While the teachers union tells the Mirror it is “thrilled,”  the dissenting voice on the panel, John M. Romanow said the ruling, ”Will do irreparable harm to the school system and clearly make it less likely that the Hartford Board of Education will be able to continue to make great strides in closing the achievement gap.”

Read more about this story at CTMirror.org. Read Jeff Cohen’s coverage at Capital Region Report.

Coming Up!

By Catie Talarski

Happy President’s Day!  I am late to getting my blog post out but we are just in time for a great week of shows.  If you’ve never called in or emailed to join one of our conversations – I have a feeling this is your week.

MONDAY: Holiday Special
Maya Angelou, one of the most storied poets in our nation, celebrates Black History Month by hosting a special program on WNPR.  Special guests include Chris Rock, Lee Daniels, Common, Cornel West and  others.

TUESDAY: Gun Control
When New Haven Mayor John DeStefano announced that he’s laying off some city employees, incudling police, it prompted protests by officers.  But it also prompted a police union official to tell residents to “arm themselves.”  It’s a troubling statement in a city that’s been plagued by shooting incidents, and has a recent – and uncomfortable – history with “armed citizen patrols” walking the streets.  The unarmed Guardian Angels group is coming back to the city to help. Meanwhile, a New Haven-area lawmaker has proposed a statewide gun registry.  Where’d he get the idea?  New Haven’s police chief.

WEDNESDAY: Brain Show
Temple Grandin has a unique talent. She thinks entirely in pictures. She is autistic and has become a renowned autism advocate.  Today she’ll describe how her brain processes language in pictures, and how this talent for visual thinking has led to a successful career as a consultant on Animal Welfare issues. Her ability to notice detail and understand the experience of cattle and other animals helps her to “see” the issues with the way livestock are treated and handled. We’ll explore how and why her brain operates in this way, and we’ll talk to a Yale researcher who studies the brains of autistic children to learn about the complex processes that influence our brains functioning.

THURSDAY: Censoring the Arts
Last month, a controversy arose over the performance of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the Waterbury Arts Magnet school. – The play included the “n-word”, which many teachers, parents, and the African American superintendent found inappropriate for a high school production.  The issue rallied some in the theater community, like James Bundy of the Yale Rep and Howard Sherman of The American Theater Wing and former executive director of the O’Neill where many of Wilson’s plays were developed.  The play was eventually allowed and will be performed this Thursday and Friday, along with pre and post play discussions about the script and sensitive issues around its language.   Today we’ll talk about “difficult” content in the classroom.  Whether it’s Huck Finn or August Wilson, what content is appropriate in the classroom, and how do educators present this information in a responsible and instructive way?  We’ll talk to Howard Sherman and several Connecticut High School students to get their take on the value of discussing racially charged language as opposed to avoiding it.

FRIDAY: The Kindergarten Age
The Governor is pushing to increase the minimum age for kindergarten, hoping to close the achievement gap and raise test scores.  But some educational activists say paying for more pre-school will cause a financial burden on low-income families.  But in bad budget times, is there money for universal pre-k?  Today, we’ll look into the legislation and find out what’s best for our kids.

 

Commuter Rail Advocate Asks: “Where Are The New Cars?”

by matt.hintsa/flickr creative commons/A Metro North Commuter Railroad train arrives at Westport station

by John Dankosky - The Chairman of Connecticut’s Commuter Rail Council wants to know why new Metro-North train cars still aren’t in service.  He’s asked officials from the manufacturer and the company testing the cars to attend a meeting tonight in Stamford.

The new Kawasaki M8 cars were purchased six years ago at a cost of $866 million dollars.  They were meant to solve a big problem on the busiest commuter train service in America – the Metro-North New Haven line.

“The cars we have are a legacy of the neglect that the state has paid to transportation for decades.  They are 35 years old – they’re older than many of the passengers on the trains – they’re falling apart,” said Jim Cameron, the Chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council.  ”The real question is where are the new M8 cars?”

Well, the answer is, they’ve been delayed again and again – first by a shortage of steel to make the cars, then because of problems found during testing.  Cameron has asked – unsuccessfully – for officials from Kawasaki and LTK, the consultants running the testing to appear in front of his council.  They’re not expected to be at the Commuter Council’s gathering at Stamford’s Government Center at 7 p.m. tonight.

“I don’t understand why commuters can’t get a straight answer from consultants that are getting paid 27 million dollars, who are involved with this testing on a daily basis, why these trains aren’t in service,” Cameron told WNPR’s Where We Live.

And, Cameron says they’re desperately needed, with the current fleet of cars being decimated by winter weather.  Because so many of the older cars are out of service, Metro-North has cut back its schedule on the New Haven line by ten percent.  Cameron says the new cars would help during what he’s called a “winter crisis.”

“Interim commissioner Parker of the DOT testified two weeks ago that the trains will probably be in service mid to late February.  Hello…it’s mid February, and their trains are no closer to being in service,” Cameron said.

DOT Commissioner Jeffrey Parker told Where We Live that the trains are in the final stage of testing, and should meet that deadline.  ”As I’ve always said, the testing is dynamic, and problems could crop up that would delay us, but as I stand here today, that’s what we’re headed for,”  Parker said.

And, Parker says that commuters should separate the long-term need for new rail cars, and the problems caused by the worst winter weather in decades.  He said that even if the new M8s were in service, it wouldn’t have led to “salvation” for the New Haven Line riders, jammed onto overcrowded trains.

Parker said the crowding on trains isn’t “terrible” this winter, but says that, on average, 1,000 to 2,00o more people are standing during their commutes than usual with the reduced schedule.   That’s out of 140,00 people a day.  But, Parker admits, “I’ve been on those trains, and forced to stand, and it’s not a comfortable thing.”

As for Cameron’s repeated request for Kawasaki and LTK to attend tonight’s commuter forum to answer questions about the delay, Parker doesn’t see the need.  He’ll be there, he says, along with a project official from Metro-North.  ”We really don’t want to have a real in-depth complex conversation about the inner workings of the car,” Parker told me.  ”Bringing in an electrical engineer who knows how the car works internally is not the best use of time for us.”

Tonight’s meeting of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council takes place at 7 p.m. at Stamford’s Government Center.

Jessica Elsayed and the Victorious Revolution

by John Dankosky – We’re sending good thoughts today to Jessica Elsayed, the high school reporter for Youth Journalism International who’s been keeping us up to date on the revolution in Egypt, from her home in Alexandria.

She first appeared on our program during the “Day of Departure,” called for by protesters.  It took a week, but when Hosni Mubarak finally stepped down, she wrote:

‘Egypt Got Its Soul Back Today’

For Jessica and the other reporters and eyewitness observers who helped bring us first-hand accounts of events over the past weeks, we say “thank you.”

It’s a rare and wonderful thing when the media can be credited so closely with affecting change.  But it’s even more eventful when reporters have to endure the kind of threatening behavior we saw from pro-Mubarak thugs.  Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson’s report for NPR about covering the protests with the help of her bodyguards – a phalanx of hijab-wearing young women – is an image I won’t soon forget.

 

 

 

 

Coming Up<3!

By Catie Talarski

Thanks to those who called in and made a pledge during this most recent membership campaign.   We at Where We Live truly appreciate your support.

Oh. And Happy Valentines Day.

Here is what is coming up next week February 14 to 18, 2011:

MONDAY: Awesome African Music Show (rebroadcast)
Recently a compilation came out covering 50 years of African music, an 18 CD compilation of 185 songs.  Many of these tracks crossed borders and helped build a new global awareness of Africa.  Today it seems like the borders between western and African music are very fluid.  Makes us wonder what is the “African” sound of today?  Banning Eyre is the editor of Afropop.org, and reviews African music for NPR’s All Things Considered.  He’s also written about his musical travels on the continent.  Brian Shimkovitz is a music publicist at Sacks & Co, but he also writes a music blog that has become a repository for some of the more obscure African music, past and present.  It’s called Awesome Tapes from Africa.  The public radio show Afropop Worldwide helped to popularize the music of Africa in the US, but it’s gotten help from western artists along the way, like Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Ry Cooder, and more recently the indie band Vampire Weekend.  In the last year, a musical about the life and music of Fela Kuti became a big hit on Broadway, with help from producers like Jay-Z and Will Smith.  But as our guests today will tell you, there’s so much more music coming out of Africa than we get to hear through popular culture.

TUESDAY: Transportation Woes
Look out below…and above!  Connecticut transportation is in crisis on the ground and in the skies as the Republican House moves forward with deep cuts in transportation spending.  Already, more than half of Metro North’s New Haven line trains are out of service resulting in a 10% decrease in service and livid commuters.  Meanwhile Bradley Airport’s struggles continue with air traffic coordination issues that are leading to danger in the skies.  Connecticut airports will need almost $200 million in federally-funded upgrades over the next five years, a prospect that is looking increasingly unlikely.  We’ll look at the rocky future for CT’s planes, trains, and automobiles.

WEDNESDAY: The Budget Day
Governor Dannel Malloy has been dropping big hints about what’s in his upcoming budget.  He’s consolidating state agencies, shuffling around the state’s higher education system, and trying to do all this while maintaining funding to towns and cities.  But it’s likely he’ll also be asking for tax increases as part of his “shared sacrifice.”  We’ll talk about what to expect from his budget address with Keith Phaneuf of the Connecticut Mirror, and we’ll talk about the long-term implications of the state’s pension obligations.

THURSDAY: DCF Commissioner
Joette Katz takes over one of the hardest jobs in Connecticut.  As the new commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, she’s in charge of what many people see as the core function of state government – taking care of its neediest residents.  But over the last few decades, the DCF has had trouble doing that job – facing court oversight and massive criticism for its treatment of children in its care.  We’ll talk to the former justice about what she hopes to do to change the culture of the department, and to protect the kids of Connecticut.

FRIDAY: The Tale of a Whale
It’s one of the most recognized and loved logos in Connecticut,  but where did it come from? Today we’ll talk to the man who designed the original logo for the Hartford Whalers.  And more.

Coming Up!

By Catie Talarski

Thanks to all who came out yesterday – both to the live morning show at the Lyceum and to the Radio Adventure Theater. It was a truly great day filled with community, storytelling, music and maybe one too many spirits.

Today: It’s zombie day in the newsroom.  We’re tired.  It’s Friday.  Huzzah.

Here’s what’s coming up next week, February 7 to 11, 2011:

MONDAY: Our Oceans (rebroadcast)
The oceans occupy nearly 71% of our planet’s surface, an expanse rich in living organisms and natural resources.  But the oceans have much more significance to our world than just environmental.   Today we’ll explore the social and historical impact of two of the world’s great bodies of water – which have bridged old and new worlds, acted as a road to hope for some and a bloody battleground for others.  In fact, the oceans have shaped us more than we may recognize.  Today 90% of all global commerce travels by sea – half of which flows through Indian ocean.  Coming up, Robert Kaplan joins us to discuss this ocean’s growing strategic importance… and his book “Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power”.  But first we’ll hear the long and complicated story of a body of water that has been at the center of western civilization. Author Simon Winchester joins us to talk about his new book Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms, and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories.  Join us as we take to the seas!

TUESDAY: A Look At Homelessness
The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness is releasing a new report that focuses on factors contributing to homelessness – including the lack of affordable housing, poverty, interpersonal violence and disabling health conditions.  Coming up, we’ll talk about the report and about how the state could address these issues.

WEDNESDAY: A Boring Show
“Like Listening to Paint Dry”, “The Intangible Beauty of Car Park Roofs”, “Personal Reflections on the English Breakfast”.  These are all names of lectures at Boring 2010 – a London conference of boredom enthusiasts.  That’s right: Boredom enthusiasts.  Coming up, we’ll yawn our way through a conversation with James Ward, coordinator of the conference and author of a super-boring blog.  Also, we’ll talk to Peter Toohey, author of Boredom: A Lively History, who will take us through the past 3000 years of boredom.

THURSDAY: Pedro Segarra
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra took over when Eddie Perez stepped down amidst corruption charges.  At the time, he said he wasn’t planning to run for Mayor again.  But now he is and he’s facing challengers for that job, a tight city budget and… what is he going to do with all that snow?!  Coming up, a conversation with Hartford’s mayor about all these things and more.

FRIDAY: Aging Gracefully
Thanks to modern technology, health care, and research, Americans are living longer, healthier lives – perhaps even harboring distant sci-fi fantasies of living forever.  But no matter how much we postpone it, aging is inevitable. And despite all of these technological advances, our emotional and mental ability to cope with aging are as regressed as ever.  Dr. Marc Agronin, a geriatric psychiatrist, joins us to talk about his new book How We Age: A Doctor’s Journey Into the Heart of Growing Old.  He’ll share stories of patients he’s worked with and explain how we can come to understand aging not as inevitable decline, but a period of vitality, wisdom, fulfillment, and hope.

Explorers, Sea Shanties, Poets, Radio…

By Catie Talarski

It’s that time of year again, when we gather ’round the old fashioned radio and listen to great stories. Tomorrow night join me and an amazing crew of creative folks for the 3rd installment of my Radio Adventure Theater. 7PM at The Studio at Billings Forge.  We’ll be exploring polar explorers… and exploring ships!

No, unfortunately I won’t be taking you to sunny, warm and exotic places.  In fact, we’ll be transported to some of the most bitter, brutal climates that exist on earth.  You actually may come out of the experience feeling better about Connecticut’s snowy winter.

Admiral Peary

What to expect?   We’ll talk  Shackleton and Antarctic exploration, Peary and Arctic exploration, and we’ll explore the majesty of ships of all kinds.  Also, there will be sea shanties by The Jovial Crew, a reading by  UHart professor Michael Robinson (check him out on this Greely Expedition doc that just aired on PBS), poetry by local high school students, and tons of great listening.

Stay after for some of my favorite local bands performing at Indie Night.

It’s all part of Billings Forge’s new MashUP. We’re kicking it off at 9AM with a live Broadcast of Where We Live at the Lyceum. We’ll talk neighborhood revitalization with the Hartford Courant’s Tom Condon, Cary Wheaton from Billings Forge and Luis Caban from SINA.  We’ll also hear from Frog Hollow residents, business owners and community members.

Tons of great stuff going on all day.  Hope to see you there!