Most Best Awesome Superlatives of 2013

This past year has made a case for less government in Hartford. When residents have led, work benefiting the community has generally followed. When public officials have exercised their power, the results have been much more mixed. “Mixed,” by the way, is the euphemism for “fecal squall,” which itself is a euphemism.

1. Best Improvements to a Hartford Park: Heaven. This is a prime example of organic development, with all changes being brought forth by the people who already use the park. A “Friends of” group has emerged and over the last year litter in the park has been greatly reduced. When offensive graffiti appeared, it was rapidly painted over, with a message added to show that the community does not stand for hate. And, most visibly, the skate park features have begun to be built. Oh, and for those who say this is bad for business, a skate shop opened just days after the park’s groundbreaking ceremony.
2. Hartford Spirit Award goes to the three individuals, two of whom are young people, responsible for ensuring that the many children and a disabled adult in a burning building on Edgewood Street were able to exit safely. While heroic, these three — Christopher Brown, Antwana Tulley, and Lamont Coleman — behaved as most humans do: with compassion and selflessness.

3. 

   Best Food “Discovery”: Sol de Borinquen, just around the corner from the Real Hartford office, has flan, bread, and cheesecake. We knew all that. Somehow, until recently, we did not know that they carry cannoli. We still love Modern, Mozzicato’s, and First & Last Bakery, but convenience wins. And, those with nut allergies will be pleased to know that these have chocolate chips in them, not pistachios.

4. Not-So-Hidden Secret Awesomeness: We knew that Ebony Horsewomen had stables and riding lessons, but no idea the extent of what they do up there on Vine Street. From Halloween festivities to classrooms to an ice cream shack. Besides horses, they have ferrets and other small animals.
5. “Temporary” Storefront in Downtown that Would Do Best to Stay: Hartford Prints!. Let’s not pretend that stationary is going to revive Downtown. That’s not the point. The point is that the business is community-centered, not just here to make a buck. The Gale sisters, from Hartford, have a positive attitude that’s contagious. We might not all be able to afford the wedding invitations, but buttons, t-shirts, bags, and cards can be purchased by those with modest earnings.
6. Biggest Scandal That Wasn’t: This is a tie between the attention given to a minor car accident involving Corporation Counsel, Saundra Kee Borges, and the Courant’s attempt to dig up Kennard Ray’s past.

   

7. Freshest Lemonade from Lemons: When the story broke that — gasp — someone from Hartford had a criminal record, there were haters, mainly from the suburbs, who pounced on Mayor Segarra for not doing a background check and for daring to extend an offer to someone with a past. And, in a giant move of “bump that,” Kennard Ray turned this into an opportunity to speak out on why it is so important for those who have done their time to get second chances.
8. Slimiest Moves: Outgoing Superintendent Kishimoto with support (at least initially) from Mayor Segarra and most of the Board of Education has attempted to give away several of Hartford’s public schools. Each time, the decision was lobbed at parents, last minute, giving them little time to investigate the potential new management company on their own. Heck, it has not just been the public school giveaway attempts that have been slimy, but most actions by the Board of Ed, particularly its appointed members who have selectively enforced policy. Let’s worry less about the ex-felon, and worry more about those unrepentantly disrespecting the public right now.

9. 

   Better Gesture from Outgoing Official: While some fired/quit/non-renewed public employees have seemed intent on leaving a trail of debris behind them, we have to give props to Kevin Burnham, former Director of Public Works, for meeting with cyclists and giving a final push on the bike lanes and boxes on Broad Street, along with repairs to a path surface at the edge of Bushnell Park, just weeks before heading out. He had not been the strongest on infrastructure improvements for cyclists and pedestrians, so it was nice to see this project followed through on.

10. The Grinch Award goes to the individuals who pushed to close or relocate the food pantry being run from the Grace Seventh-Day Adventist Church in the West End. Everything worked out in the end, but there were lessons to be learned in this. Civic Associations would do well to think about the wording in emails and how they respond to the media — also, assuming that all emails are going to be made public is a helpful guide to follow. Another lesson: don’t let one person’s selfish and shortsighted agenda become an item for immediate action, especially when the concern is not even remotely new. Props to those in the West End who spoke out at meetings and through letters to let it be known that they and their neighbors were not in favor of shutting down the food pantry.
11. The Civic Engagement Award goes to the dozens of (mostly) young people who showed up in force at the final Downtown North meeting, despite not being reached out to at all by the City of Hartford or Utile design team. Little notice was given for the meeting, no agenda provided, and when most of the audience was determined to be comprised primarily of Heaven supporters — those who skateboard, do parkour, practice aerosol art, and just enjoy the space — there was obvious filibustering happening, with the Utile team bloviating for hours about demographics and specs that possibly no one in the room cared about. Whenever a young person stepped out, there were smirks shared among those in suits. But those youth who stepped out returned, with nearly all staying until the end of the night to express their support for Heaven as designed by the people. One teen stood in front of the packed room to read her statement of support. There were those who would dismiss her, those who clearly have forgotten that teens generally go out of their way to not stand out from the crowd. Good for her! We will likely see her and her friends at meetings to come, regardless of how many attempts are made to shut them out.
12. Most Meaningful Event: the Lifelines to Healing Campaign stop at Union Baptist Church.
13. The Routine Incompetence Award goes to the Hartford Registrars of Voters and poll workers.
14. But on the flip side, we have some very competent folks living in the city, namely, the residents who got sick of waiting for plows during the big storm in February and shoveled themselves out. Hats off to those who take initiative!
15. Most Stinging Slap to Face: At the end of June, La Paloma Sabanera closed for a variety of reasons, but mainly because the five year lease was up and the owner was tired of dealing with a landlord who she says refused to address many of the ongoing problems with the premises. The closure of Flower Street, of course, did not help matters. Months after the closure, “Froghollow Coffeehouse” opened in its spot by individuals who do not live in Hartford, but who proclaimed privately and in print that they were doing more for the neighborhood than La Paloma had. The space, with its newly added lights, tablecloths, and rack of potato chips blocking a window, is nearly always empty; there are reports of ten customers, at most, each day. It’s frequently devoid of customers during rush hour, when coffee is in highest demand. Former patrons of La Paloma still seek a welcoming community spot where the coffee is palatable and the conversation friendly.

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    The Jane Jacobs Cognitive Dissonance Award goes to the City of Hartford for its ability to hire on designers touting merits of a walkable Downtown at the same time as it completely removed itself from fighting the Connecticut Department of Transportation on the Flower Street issue.

17. Best Art Gallery: public art has been appearing in the form of modified signs and more. We have encountered a lot of this just while walking, though in some cases we might have had tips. Scenes from the Sidewalk did not begin as a way to capture art — just oddities that we would find — but it has seemed that way over the past year.  Runner-up: The Art Sled Derby.
18. Most Interesting New Musical Act: Hartford Hot Several. Note, we are not ranking them as the most talented.