Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs down to the reality that the glass ceiling for Connecticut businesswomen is still barely cracked. In the latest Fortune list, there’s only one female CEO among the top 25 businesses in Connecticut (by revenue). That honor belongs to Judy Marks of Farmington-based Otis Worldwide, which manufactures and services elevators and escalators. Women’s Business Development Council Founder Fran Pastore said, “It’s distressing, and it’s frustrating — but it’s not a surprise.” All three things are true, in Connecticut and across the rest of the nation.

Thumbs up to Connecticut for welcoming more than 700 Afghans since the end of the U.S. war in that nation. According to the CT Mirror, that’s more than twice as many as the state originally targeted. The need has been great as many Afghan nationals who had helped the U.S. war effort feared for their safety upon the Taliban’s takeover, and needed a new place to live. It’s to this nation’s credit that so many have been able to resettle here. But the need doesn’t end, as a new conflict in Ukraine has thousands more in need of new homes. President Joe Biden announced the United States would welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, some of whom will live in Connecticut.

Thumbs up to a statewide project to protect the northern diamondback terrapin from cars that routinely kill turtles. Western Connecticut State University, the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection will be working this summer to track terrapins along coastal roads and identify the best places to place culverts, road barriers and street signs (for the drivers, not the turtles). It is a unique species, and the goal of the effort is nothing less than trying to ensure survival.

Thumbs down to an unwelcome reminder that winter weather isn’t quite over. Though much of the state was unscathed, many people woke up Monday morning to snow-covered driveways and icy roads, and everyone saw temperatures more commonly associated with January than late March. Luckily, most roads were cleared by mid-morning, and cleanup was hardly more than an annoyance.

Thumbs up to state lawmakers acknowledging how challenging the past two years have been for the restaurant industry by extending outdoor dining opportunities for another year. Restaurants would need local zoning approval, and need to be sensitive to the needs of pedestrians — particularly people with disabilities — who use the sidewalks. But it’s important step to boost the livelihood of all of our municipalities, many of which lean on restaurants to maintain thriving downtowns.