Monday: On Death and Dying
Religious professionals officiate funerals, bless graves, and many of them have touched more corpses than they can count. So it makes sense that we expect them to have some kind of wisdom about death. But how much wisdom can they really have when death remains so inscrutable? And how do their experiences influence their views of their own mortality?Today we’ll talk with philosopher Shelly Kagan and pastoral care professor Kristen Leslie about the mystery of death. We also have Episcopal priest and theologian Danielle Tumminio in the studio with us to share the stories of how two priests and a rabbi understand their own mortality.
Tuesday: Puerto Rican Statehood
The Obama Administration has upset many Puerto Ricans by calling the outcome of the recent statehood referendum “less than clear.” But to many who live on the island, or who have come to live in Connecticut, that vote in the November elections did signal that they want some sort of change. We’ll tackle the issue of Puerto Rico’s status – commonwealth? State? Independent? We’ll talk about Puerto Rican history and ties between Connecticut and the island.
Wednesday: Reducing Gun Violence
Based on the idea that gun violence in our cities is caused mainly by a small number of street gangs and drug crews, a new effort to reduce homicide in Connecticut’s major cities establishes face-to-face meetings to talk about and squash the problem. Project Longevity is being piloted in New Haven, with plans to expand to Hartford and Bridgeport.
Thursday: Monthly Malloy
With the state budget in the red, the General Assembly is expected to meet later this month for a special session. Governor Malloy has already cut $170 million from the budget and more cuts are expected. Governor Malloy joins us in-studio for his monthly visit to Where We Live and we’ll be taking your questions too. We’ll also be joined by Commissioner Joette Katz from the Department of Children & Families for an update on DCF as we head into the holiday season.
Friday: More Connecticut Eccentricities
We’re following-up on a show we did earlier this year on the eccentricities of Connecticut. After the show aired, we received lots of questions about other random factoids so we’re bringing back our panel to answer those burning questions. We’ll tackle some of our favorite town nicknames including Cheshire, which is “The Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut.” Send us those questions about Connecticut that you’ve always been wondering about, but didn’t know who to ask! Do you call yourself a Connecticotian, Connecticutensian or Nutmegger?
A clarification about one of the caller’s comments: Woodmont is a burrough of Milford. According to the CT Post, it was incorporated in 1902. It’s literally a town inside a city, with its own taxing district and elected officials.
It isn’t, as far as I’m aware, part of West Haven at all, however.
On one of these “eccentricities” shows, I’d love to hear about some of Connecticut’s “lost” towns, such as the five founded by Connecticut expansionists in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania : Wilkesbarre, Nanticoke, Pittstown, Forty Township, and Plymouth. A war was fought with the Pennsylvanians over that territory. And what about Cleveland, Ohio? That was originally settled by the Connecticut Land Company, as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve (more land our state claimed because of the 1662 charter).
Just think – our tiny state used to be a lot bigger!