Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs up to early completion of the replacement of the 61-year-old bridge near Exit 9 in Stamford. Worstcase traffic scenarios were envisioned during the last two weekends, but the highway reopened on both Sunday mornings. This appears to be a case where good communication kept travelers away, crews did the work efficiently and cautious goals were set.
Thumbs up to the sale of the Royal Bank of Scotland office building in downtown Stamford. Rubenstein Partners’ purchase of the site for $163 million adds reassurance that the location will not be forsaken given RBS’ struggles in recent years. About 85 percent of the address is occupied, with tenants that will continue to include RBS and UBS. But given its prime spot next to the train station, empty offices should be rare in the building. The sale also brings in $2 million in conveyance taxes for the state, though Connecticut provided $100 million in tax credits when the offices were built just a decade ago.
Thumbs down to the FCC not requiring phone companies to provide free tolls to block unwanted calls. It’s good news that federal regulators are supporting giving phone companies the right to block robocalls calls without getting customers’ permission, but it’s ridiculous that consumers are potentially susceptible to more hidden costs. Thumbs up to Stamford’s latest downtown sculpture exhibit. Like past exhibits featuring cars, cows and cats, this year’s show is whimsical, spotlighting fanciful spacecrafts. Partial proceeds from the auction of the art at summer’s end will benefit the Veterans Park Initiative. For more information, including a map of the exhibit, go to http://bit.ly/2KDODNe.
Thumbs down to state Republican Party Chair JR Romano’s attack on Indivisible Greenwich. Romano complaint against the group in 2017 was finally dismissed in the State Election Enforcement Commission last week. Romano claimed the group was operating outside state election laws regarding election spending. Indivisible, a grassroots group, should not have to devote time and financial resources on such political gamesmanship.
Thumbs up to a new law designed to boost the number of minority teachers in Connecticut classrooms. Gov. Ned Lamont has pointed to data that less than 9 percent of public school teachers in the state are people of color, while the student minority population is more than 40 percent. Increasing diversity in the classroom can make students of color feel more comfortable, but it is truly a benefit for every child.
Thumbs down to Greenwich Public Schools eliminating bus transportation to Eagle Hill School students based on a technicality. The school is a state-approved program for children with languagebased learning challenges, but the district determined it can cut off bus rides because fewer than half the students now live in Connecticut. This wouldn’t be an issue in the middle of the state, but Greenwich happens to border New York. It’s an insensitive move that punishes 42 Greenwich students, as the service was only provided within the town.