BRISTOL - Among various proposals for the former Memorial Boulevard School, one to turn it into a performing arts magnet school just got a boost from the Board of Education.
Last January, state Rep. Chris Ziogas, D-Bristol, organized a tour of the old school for state, city and school officials, with the idea of turning it into a magnet performing arts school.
Chris Wilson, board chairman, said representatives from the Conn- ecticut Depart- ment of Admin- istrative Services’ Office of School Construction encouraged Bristol to apply for funding to renovate the building. He said school officials have now drafted a proposal for the magnet school, which would be for grades six through 12, and would be operated and managed by the Bristol school district.
The board approved the proposal Wednesday night. Wilson said the next step is to get the approval of the Board of Finance and the City Council.
“It’s clear to us that the parents and the families in Bristol are looking for a themed magnet school for performing arts. We’ve always have a strong arts program in our schools, and this certainly would accent that,” he said.
Currently about 100 local students go out of district to performing arts magnet schools in Hartford or Waterbury. The state pays about $5,000 per student for their transportation costs so it would save the state money to keep them in the district, he said.
Karen Vibert, board vice chairwoman, said Bristol students would not have to travel if there city had its own performing arts magnet school, the district wouldn’t have to pay their tuition for other magnet schools, and Bristol would get tuition money from students coming here from other districts.
“There is a very good chance it would be self sustaining,” she said.
Wilson said the project would probably be funded 70 percent by the state and 30 percent by the city. He admitted there is no urgency for the council and finance board to act at the moment because the proposal would have to go before the Connecticut Bond Commission, which will not meet until the state legislature finally passes a budget. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Work scheduled on project related to Walk Bridge on Metro-North line
NORWALK >> Construction will begin next month on two preliminary projects related to replacement of the Walk Bridge on Metro-North’s New Haven line.
The state Department of Transportation this month awarded a $237 million contract to Cianbro-Middlesex Joint Venture for the CP243 Interlocking and Danbury Branch Dockyard projects.
DOT spokesman Judd Everhart said the city, contractor and transportation department officials will meet Thursday in Norwalk to finalize the work schedule for both projects.As with the Walk Bridge replacement, disruptions to the community remain the primary concern, according to local officials. We want to be able to make sure that we can say as much as we can on how it’s going to function, detours, road closures,” said Norwalk Director of Public Works Bruce J. Chimento. “We’re all over that. We’ve just got to make sure that it has (the least) inconvenience as we can to the public.” The Danbury Branch Dockyard Project will upgrade and electrify the southern end of the Danbury branch line, from where it splits from the New Haven Line to the dockyard area one mile north. The improvements will allow commuter trains that begin or end in Norwalk to turn or switch direction. The CP243 Interlocking Project will build a new four-track interlocking, switch-and-signal system that will allow trains to move from one track to another. The project area lies roughly 1.5 miles east of the Walk Bridge on the New Haven Line, between the East Norwalk and Westport stations. Overhead catenary and signal work will extend to South Norwalk Station, according to the DOT. With the hiring of a contractor, work areas have been established near the railroad tracks at the end of Goldstein Place as well as in the parking lot of 10 Norden Place. Construction is expected to begin in late September and continue for three years The projects, although independent of the replacement of the 121-year-old Walk Railroad Bridge, are designed to improve operations on the main line during construction of the new bridge. The Walk Bridge Program team will hold a public meeting on the construction details of the CP243 Interlocking and Danbury Branch Dockyard projects at Norwalk City Hall in September.The main showThe Walk Bridge carries approximately 200 trains and 125,000 passengers over the Norwalk River each day and is part of the busiest rail corridors in the nation. The bridge, however, has outlived its 100-year lifespan as evidenced by repeated operational failures, according to the DOT. The DOT plans to replace the existing structure with a long-span vertical lift bridge. The new bridge will feature a 240-foot deck and provide 200 feet of horizontal navigational clearance and 60 feet of vertical clearance when raised. The bridge replacement remains in the design phase. DOT expects to reach 60-percent design in January, 100-percent design in October 2018, start construction in spring 2019 and complete the new bridge in the fall of 2023. In July, the project passed the scrutiny of the Federal Transit Administration, which issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact” for the proposed work. The agency found no need for further evaluation of the project’s environmental impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act, and the project was allowed to proceed to its next stages. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Aug. 31 groundbreaking ceremony slated for Mystic YMCA project
Mystic -- The Ocean Community YMCA has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for the $7.2 million renovation and expansion project of its Mystic branch on Aug. 31 at 3 p.m. There will be food, music, and a speaking program involving community leaders.
Plans call for 12,500 square feet of new space as well as new locker rooms, additional parking, exercise studios, a teen center, dedicated child care room ,community room and an expanded wellness center. The building will be handicapped accessible with an elevator and new HVAC systems.
A new entrance will re-orient the building to overlook the Mystic River. It is estimated that it will take a year to complete the project once work begins. The YMCA will remain open during that time.
First span of NY bridge built to carry millions opening
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature public works project, a $4 billion bridge to be named after his father, is about to begin carrying commuters across the Hudson River in the New York City suburbs.
One span of the future Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge will open to westbound traffic Friday, signaling near-completion of a project to replace the 62-year-old Tappan Zee that has served as the poster child for America's crumbling infrastructure. The second span is scheduled for completion in the spring.
The 3-mile (4.8-kilometer)-long bridge linking Westchester County to the New York State Thruway across the widest point in the Hudson is one of the largest public infrastructure projects underway in the U.S. and a model of the latest engineering. It will take more than 50 million vehicles a year across the river, from Manhattan commuters to truckers looking to skirt the traffic-choked city 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the south.
The construction project, begun by the Thruway Authority in 2013 after decades of political squabbling, still rankles upstate critics who want to know exactly how the state is paying for it.
"Repeatedly we've heard whispers about raising tolls across the Thruway system to pay for a bridge many upstate commuters will never use," said Greg Biryla, executive director of Unshackle Upstate, a coalition of business and trade organizations. "The Thruway is the economic lifeline between our communities. When you increase the cost of that lifeline, you do further damage to the struggling upstate economy."
Abbey Fashouer, a spokeswoman for Cuomo, said upstate residents are not paying for the bridge.
"There has been no upstate toll revenue used to support the construction and financing of the new bridge, and no upstate toll revenue will be necessary to cover any remaining costs as the Tappan Zee currently provides significant funding for the entire Thruway system," she said.
The state has dedicated $2 billion from bank settlements and $1.6 billion from a federal loan to fund the project, according to Cuomo's office. But the Democratic governor said last month that tolls from the entire 570-mile Thruway system will help pay the bridge bills. He has also pledged that Thruway tolls will be frozen through 2020.
E.J. McMahon, president of Empire Center, a conservative think tank, says the Thruway Authority should have increased the bridge toll in anticipation of the project. While other New York City area bridges cost as much as $15, the Tappan Zee is $5 round trip.
Even at $5, the bridge has been a major revenue source for the highway system, with its tolls accounting for about 20 percent of overall revenues, according to Cuomo's office. The Cuomo administration says there are options after 2020 that could offset tolls, like the possibility of additional state resources or future settlement dollars.
While upstate commuters may never use the new bridge, they'll get some use out of the old one. The Thruway Authority is giving away portions of the bridge's deck and its moveable barrier system. Eight counties have requested some of the 150 deck panels to be salvaged for reuse in other bridges.
Mayor Harry W. Rilling said the city is working diligently to ensure that the project “will cause the least amount of disruption to the environment, residents and businesses in the areas surrounding the Walk Bridge. It is our top priority.”“To this end, we will continue to monitor all activities, undertake necessary planning and work with the CT DOT to ensure that the city of Norwalk, its residents, businesses and visitors are protected from known impacts,” Rilling said in July.
Shawmut Equipment Celebrates 60 Years in New England
Shawmut Equipment has been a leading equipment distributor bringing quality products to its customers since 1957. This year marks 60 years of continued success in the industry. Shawmut represents the Manitowoc Crane Group's range of construction cranes, including Manitowoc crawler cranes, Grove rough terrain cranes, Grove GMK all terrain cranes, Grove hydraulic crawler cranes, Grove yard boss industrial cranes, National boom trucks and Potain self-erecting cranes, as well as a variety of utility equipment. Shawmut is a full-service company, with three facilities offering sales, rentals, parts and service located in Manchester, Conn., South Easton, Mass., and Saint John, New Brunswick.
Shawmut was founded in 1957 by George O'Connell and is still to this day run by the O'Connell family. David O'Connell, George's son, joined the company in the 1960s and took over in 1978 as president. David's sons, Brian O'Connell and Kevin O'Connell, joined the business in early 2000s, as well as David's nephew, Joe Vergoni. Today, all three of them act as vice presidents and sales representatives of the company. Many long-term experienced and knowledgeable employees play a key role in the success of the business, according to the family.
“Our business philosophy is to do the right thing for the customer in each and every aspect of the business,” David O'Connell said. “This is the only way to succeed. We have repeat customers who have done business with us for generations, as well as new customers who are doing business with us for the first time. We attempt to treat all customers in a fair and honest manner, whether it concerns an equipment sale, a rental, a parts purchase or service work.
“I am extremely fortunate to have my two boys, Brian and Kevin, and my nephew, Joe Vergoni, deeply involved in this family business. They are learning the same business values from me that I learned from their grandfather.”
In 1963, the company became one of Grove's first distributors, serving Connecticut and western Massachusetts out of its Manchester, Conn., office. In 1995, Shawmut was made the exclusive dealer of the Manitowoc Company's crawler crane line for all of New England. Likewise, Grove recognized Shawmut's success in its existing territory and encouraged expansion throughout the six states of New England.
By the late 1990s, another facility was needed to satisfy its customer's needs. Shawmut opened another full-service facility in Massachusetts, speeding up response time for service and parts in the expanded territory. The Manitowoc Company acquired Grove Worldwide in 2002 and the company quickly became a global leader in the industry with Shawmut representing all of its product lines.
Shawmut continued to expand its international presence in 2008 when it was awarded the territory of the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Shawmut Equipment of Canada Inc., a full subsidiary of Shawmut Equipment Company Inc., was created and opened the doors of its facility in Saint John, New Brunswick. Shawmut Equipment also now serves customers in the Atlantic provinces of Canada, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Demand for sales and service in Canada has been growing at a steady rate, requiring another location to better serve customers. A new facility is in the process of being built in Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. This location will serve as the headquarters for the Maritime provinces of Canada and will increase access to a larger geographic area and more remote jobsite locations. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Chris Wilson, board chairman, said representatives from the Conn- ecticut Depart- ment of Admin- istrative Services’ Office of School Construction encouraged Bristol to apply for funding to renovate the building. He said school officials have now drafted a proposal for the magnet school, which would be for grades six through 12, and would be operated and managed by the Bristol school district.
The board approved the proposal Wednesday night. Wilson said the next step is to get the approval of the Board of Finance and the City Council.
“It’s clear to us that the parents and the families in Bristol are looking for a themed magnet school for performing arts. We’ve always have a strong arts program in our schools, and this certainly would accent that,” he said.
Currently about 100 local students go out of district to performing arts magnet schools in Hartford or Waterbury. The state pays about $5,000 per student for their transportation costs so it would save the state money to keep them in the district, he said.
Karen Vibert, board vice chairwoman, said Bristol students would not have to travel if there city had its own performing arts magnet school, the district wouldn’t have to pay their tuition for other magnet schools, and Bristol would get tuition money from students coming here from other districts.
“There is a very good chance it would be self sustaining,” she said.
Wilson said the project would probably be funded 70 percent by the state and 30 percent by the city. He admitted there is no urgency for the council and finance board to act at the moment because the proposal would have to go before the Connecticut Bond Commission, which will not meet until the state legislature finally passes a budget. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Work scheduled on project related to Walk Bridge on Metro-North line
NORWALK >> Construction will begin next month on two preliminary projects related to replacement of the Walk Bridge on Metro-North’s New Haven line.
The state Department of Transportation this month awarded a $237 million contract to Cianbro-Middlesex Joint Venture for the CP243 Interlocking and Danbury Branch Dockyard projects.
DOT spokesman Judd Everhart said the city, contractor and transportation department officials will meet Thursday in Norwalk to finalize the work schedule for both projects.As with the Walk Bridge replacement, disruptions to the community remain the primary concern, according to local officials. We want to be able to make sure that we can say as much as we can on how it’s going to function, detours, road closures,” said Norwalk Director of Public Works Bruce J. Chimento. “We’re all over that. We’ve just got to make sure that it has (the least) inconvenience as we can to the public.” The Danbury Branch Dockyard Project will upgrade and electrify the southern end of the Danbury branch line, from where it splits from the New Haven Line to the dockyard area one mile north. The improvements will allow commuter trains that begin or end in Norwalk to turn or switch direction. The CP243 Interlocking Project will build a new four-track interlocking, switch-and-signal system that will allow trains to move from one track to another. The project area lies roughly 1.5 miles east of the Walk Bridge on the New Haven Line, between the East Norwalk and Westport stations. Overhead catenary and signal work will extend to South Norwalk Station, according to the DOT. With the hiring of a contractor, work areas have been established near the railroad tracks at the end of Goldstein Place as well as in the parking lot of 10 Norden Place. Construction is expected to begin in late September and continue for three years The projects, although independent of the replacement of the 121-year-old Walk Railroad Bridge, are designed to improve operations on the main line during construction of the new bridge. The Walk Bridge Program team will hold a public meeting on the construction details of the CP243 Interlocking and Danbury Branch Dockyard projects at Norwalk City Hall in September.The main showThe Walk Bridge carries approximately 200 trains and 125,000 passengers over the Norwalk River each day and is part of the busiest rail corridors in the nation. The bridge, however, has outlived its 100-year lifespan as evidenced by repeated operational failures, according to the DOT. The DOT plans to replace the existing structure with a long-span vertical lift bridge. The new bridge will feature a 240-foot deck and provide 200 feet of horizontal navigational clearance and 60 feet of vertical clearance when raised. The bridge replacement remains in the design phase. DOT expects to reach 60-percent design in January, 100-percent design in October 2018, start construction in spring 2019 and complete the new bridge in the fall of 2023. In July, the project passed the scrutiny of the Federal Transit Administration, which issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact” for the proposed work. The agency found no need for further evaluation of the project’s environmental impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act, and the project was allowed to proceed to its next stages. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Aug. 31 groundbreaking ceremony slated for Mystic YMCA project
Mystic -- The Ocean Community YMCA has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for the $7.2 million renovation and expansion project of its Mystic branch on Aug. 31 at 3 p.m. There will be food, music, and a speaking program involving community leaders.
Plans call for 12,500 square feet of new space as well as new locker rooms, additional parking, exercise studios, a teen center, dedicated child care room ,community room and an expanded wellness center. The building will be handicapped accessible with an elevator and new HVAC systems.
A new entrance will re-orient the building to overlook the Mystic River. It is estimated that it will take a year to complete the project once work begins. The YMCA will remain open during that time.
First span of NY bridge built to carry millions opening
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature public works project, a $4 billion bridge to be named after his father, is about to begin carrying commuters across the Hudson River in the New York City suburbs.
One span of the future Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge will open to westbound traffic Friday, signaling near-completion of a project to replace the 62-year-old Tappan Zee that has served as the poster child for America's crumbling infrastructure. The second span is scheduled for completion in the spring.
The 3-mile (4.8-kilometer)-long bridge linking Westchester County to the New York State Thruway across the widest point in the Hudson is one of the largest public infrastructure projects underway in the U.S. and a model of the latest engineering. It will take more than 50 million vehicles a year across the river, from Manhattan commuters to truckers looking to skirt the traffic-choked city 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the south.
The construction project, begun by the Thruway Authority in 2013 after decades of political squabbling, still rankles upstate critics who want to know exactly how the state is paying for it.
"Repeatedly we've heard whispers about raising tolls across the Thruway system to pay for a bridge many upstate commuters will never use," said Greg Biryla, executive director of Unshackle Upstate, a coalition of business and trade organizations. "The Thruway is the economic lifeline between our communities. When you increase the cost of that lifeline, you do further damage to the struggling upstate economy."
Abbey Fashouer, a spokeswoman for Cuomo, said upstate residents are not paying for the bridge.
The state has dedicated $2 billion from bank settlements and $1.6 billion from a federal loan to fund the project, according to Cuomo's office. But the Democratic governor said last month that tolls from the entire 570-mile Thruway system will help pay the bridge bills. He has also pledged that Thruway tolls will be frozen through 2020.
E.J. McMahon, president of Empire Center, a conservative think tank, says the Thruway Authority should have increased the bridge toll in anticipation of the project. While other New York City area bridges cost as much as $15, the Tappan Zee is $5 round trip.
Even at $5, the bridge has been a major revenue source for the highway system, with its tolls accounting for about 20 percent of overall revenues, according to Cuomo's office. The Cuomo administration says there are options after 2020 that could offset tolls, like the possibility of additional state resources or future settlement dollars.
While upstate commuters may never use the new bridge, they'll get some use out of the old one. The Thruway Authority is giving away portions of the bridge's deck and its moveable barrier system. Eight counties have requested some of the 150 deck panels to be salvaged for reuse in other bridges.
Mayor Harry W. Rilling said the city is working diligently to ensure that the project “will cause the least amount of disruption to the environment, residents and businesses in the areas surrounding the Walk Bridge. It is our top priority.”“To this end, we will continue to monitor all activities, undertake necessary planning and work with the CT DOT to ensure that the city of Norwalk, its residents, businesses and visitors are protected from known impacts,” Rilling said in July.
Shawmut Equipment Celebrates 60 Years in New England
Shawmut Equipment has been a leading equipment distributor bringing quality products to its customers since 1957. This year marks 60 years of continued success in the industry. Shawmut represents the Manitowoc Crane Group's range of construction cranes, including Manitowoc crawler cranes, Grove rough terrain cranes, Grove GMK all terrain cranes, Grove hydraulic crawler cranes, Grove yard boss industrial cranes, National boom trucks and Potain self-erecting cranes, as well as a variety of utility equipment. Shawmut is a full-service company, with three facilities offering sales, rentals, parts and service located in Manchester, Conn., South Easton, Mass., and Saint John, New Brunswick.
Shawmut was founded in 1957 by George O'Connell and is still to this day run by the O'Connell family. David O'Connell, George's son, joined the company in the 1960s and took over in 1978 as president. David's sons, Brian O'Connell and Kevin O'Connell, joined the business in early 2000s, as well as David's nephew, Joe Vergoni. Today, all three of them act as vice presidents and sales representatives of the company. Many long-term experienced and knowledgeable employees play a key role in the success of the business, according to the family.
“Our business philosophy is to do the right thing for the customer in each and every aspect of the business,” David O'Connell said. “This is the only way to succeed. We have repeat customers who have done business with us for generations, as well as new customers who are doing business with us for the first time. We attempt to treat all customers in a fair and honest manner, whether it concerns an equipment sale, a rental, a parts purchase or service work.
“I am extremely fortunate to have my two boys, Brian and Kevin, and my nephew, Joe Vergoni, deeply involved in this family business. They are learning the same business values from me that I learned from their grandfather.”
In 1963, the company became one of Grove's first distributors, serving Connecticut and western Massachusetts out of its Manchester, Conn., office. In 1995, Shawmut was made the exclusive dealer of the Manitowoc Company's crawler crane line for all of New England. Likewise, Grove recognized Shawmut's success in its existing territory and encouraged expansion throughout the six states of New England.
By the late 1990s, another facility was needed to satisfy its customer's needs. Shawmut opened another full-service facility in Massachusetts, speeding up response time for service and parts in the expanded territory. The Manitowoc Company acquired Grove Worldwide in 2002 and the company quickly became a global leader in the industry with Shawmut representing all of its product lines.
Shawmut continued to expand its international presence in 2008 when it was awarded the territory of the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Shawmut Equipment of Canada Inc., a full subsidiary of Shawmut Equipment Company Inc., was created and opened the doors of its facility in Saint John, New Brunswick. Shawmut Equipment also now serves customers in the Atlantic provinces of Canada, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Demand for sales and service in Canada has been growing at a steady rate, requiring another location to better serve customers. A new facility is in the process of being built in Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. This location will serve as the headquarters for the Maritime provinces of Canada and will increase access to a larger geographic area and more remote jobsite locations. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE