Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs up
to Stamford making downtown parking free in city garages for the remainder of July to bolster local businesses. As Connecticut cautiously takes steps forward during the pandemic, this is the kind of move that can make people feel a little more comfortable. Parking will remain free for the first three hours, and the program is under consideration to be extended into August. Street parking still requires payment.
Thumbs up
to 22 jobs in the Stamford Public Schools system being spared. It’s easy to get lost in soulless figures, but these are 22 people who were poised to lose their jobs — 10 office support specialists, seven custodians and five school IT employees. It required concession from two unions, but everyone in city government should have the same goal to keep people working.
Thumbs up
to Stamford Public Schools reaching a settlement with Westhill High School Principal Michael Rinaldi, who was suspended for three days for social media postings related to the coronavirus. The matter was cleared from his record. This should allow Rinaldi to return to active communication with families, while being reminded of the sensitivity of the tone and messages he expresses.
Thumbs down
to child vaccinations plummeting during the pandemic. The Connecticut Department of Public Health distributed 39,140 fewer vaccine doses to medical providers in April, which represents a 43-percent decrease from the previous April. Comparing Mays, 32,908 fewer doses were recorded. The figures are somewhat understandable given these were the first weeks of the crisis, but hopefully families will catch up in weeks to come.
Thumbs down
to indications that Connecticut residents are becoming a little careless about protecting themselves and others against the coronavirus. Gov. Ned Lamont said “I’m a relatively tough grader. I think a month ago I gave us more of a A-minus. “Today I think it’s more like a B-plus.” We may be stricter graders than the governor. If anything, Connecticut never seemed to reached “A” status, and is hovering closer to a C-plus/B-minute grade these days. It’s understandable that everyone is weary of social distancing and wearing masks, but this is a time to summon resolve.
Thumbs down
to a spike in the number of jobless claims in the state in the first week of July. The U.S. Department of Labor reported 2,200 more Connecticut residents filing claims during the week compared with the last week of June. That puts the state’s unemployment rate at 15 percent (about 253,000 people), which is the eighth highest in the nation. With several factors contributing to delays in the launch of Phase 3 of Connecticut’s reopening, these figures will not improve as quickly as hoped a month or so ago.
Thumbs up
to the resurgence in Connecticut residents riding bicycles since the start of the pandemic. Yes, there’s a dark irony in such a healthy activity resulting from COVID-19, but this is not only good for the industry, but hopefully will spur people to keep riding for years to come. Notably, local bike shops are getting work repairing bikes that haven’t been serviced in decades.