Items by Steve Collins

• City to settle lawsuit for $55,000

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 0
  I'm not really sure what the case is all about, but the city is preparing to settle a lawsuit against it brought by the Massachusetts-based Titan Roofing, which won a contract in 2006 to put a new roof on the Malone Aquatic Center.
  I don't know why the company sued. [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 9:40pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Leone resigned today

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 0
  Mayor Art Ward said that John Leone resigned from the Bristol Downtown Development Corp.
  
  *******
  Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
  Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 9:05pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Leone's tenuous position

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 8
  I can't quarrel with former Mayor John Leone's view that he can't ethically take part in the Bristol Downtown Development Corp.'s decision about who should develop the Depot Square sit. If Leone thinks the situation is such that he can't vote, then he clearly shouldn't vote. He's got a better [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 3:48pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Let Leone vote?

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 2
  A suggested way out of the fiasco, offered by former city Councilor Craig Minor:
  
   If Monti and D'Amato can't work it out, the BDDC should ask both of them if they are willing to let Leone vote. Of course, Leone could vote for D'Amato and that leaves it at' [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 2:12pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Dutton Heights renovation hinges on a bus stop

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 4
  Don't miss my story in today's Bristol Press about a proposed renovation to the aging Dutton Heights housing project. The $14 million project hinges on whether the location of a little-used bus stop can be shifted by one block, officials said. Read the whole thing here.
  *******
  Copyright 2009.' [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 2:08pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Millionaire-Maker always another option

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 1
  
  Hey, if things don't work out with Renaissance or D'Amato, the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. can always go back to this guy.
  
  *******
  Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
  Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 11:20am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Johnson: Bristol Blog has lots of readers

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 2
  The Bristol Blog came up during last night's Bristol Downtown Development Corp. meeting, giving the otherwise dismal session at least a short moment of sunshine.
  The chairman of the nonprofit formed to revamp downtown, Frank Johnson, said that everybody claims they don't read the Bristol Blog, yet they all' [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 10:25am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Downtown meltdown

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 14
  Last night's implosion of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp., whose seven members managed to divide themselves up into four distinct groups in vote after vote, doesn't look any better the next day.
  What we saw as the panel tried to decide which of two developers to bring on board were' [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 10:16am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Frank Johnson, BDDC chair, explains his vote for Renaissance

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 6
  This is the statement read by Frank Johnson, the chairman of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp., to explain his thinking about the choice of a developer for the former mall site:
  
  The BDDC was created in April of 2007, following exhaustive and sometimes heated discussion. Since its creation, the [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 9:58am EST
  by Steve Collins

• The stalemate at the BDDC

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 8
  
  Downtown overseers reached nothing but a stalemate Monday when faced with the decision of which developer to choose for the city-owned former mall property. Read the rest of reporter Jackie Majerus' account of the meeting here.
  
  *******
  Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
  Contact Steve Collins' [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 7:36am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Bristol is growing?

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 4
  One of the most important numbers that Bristol will be watching for is its next U.S. Census population figure.
  Last time around, the city's population dipped slightly to 60.062, the first time it had ever gone down.
  This time, Census 2010 is likely to find that the city is growing [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 7:11am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Let the City Council decide instead?

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 16
  In a room packed with all sorts of politicians, past and present, watching the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. implode, one of its board members was ready to throw up his hands.
  Tom Cosgrove said that maybe the nonprofit should simply let the City Council make the decision on which developer [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 10:33pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• The state angle

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 5
  Bristol has a way of putting its worst foot forward.
  On the cusp of hiring its preferred downtown developer, the firm that with luck will put the pieces together to make the revival of the city center possible, Bristol's officials managed to make themselves look about as far removed from' [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 10:27pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Janelle's votes puzzling, too

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 19
  Bristol Downtown Development Corp. board member Jennifer Janelle managed tonight to do something nobody else did: she voted against both of the firms competing to win approval as the preferred developer of the former downtown mall.
  She first refused to go along with picking D'Amato Realty for the position, joining' [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 9:05pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• New decision date: next Monday

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 2
  Aiming to break the logjam, Dick Kallenbach suggested picking D'Amato Realty as the lead developer for the mall property but giving it just 18 months to get things moving instead of two years.
  That proposal drew just one supporter: Gardner Wright.
  Then Don Monti from Renaissance asked to speak. He' [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 8:58pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Democrats refuse to let 'Gov. Scrooge' slash jobs

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 3
  State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat, said tonight that when the legislature goes into session Tuesday, it's not going to go along with Gov. Jodi Rell's budget reduction ideas.
  "We are not going to accept the governor's plan," Nicastro said.
  He said that Rell's proposal would cost at least [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 8:20pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Nothing against Leone, but...

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 3
  If you really wanted to get something done in Bristol the past quarter century, you got John Leone on your side. The former mayor, and former head of the chamber of commerce, has the tenacity and damn-the-obstacles focus to ram most anything through all but the stiffest of opposition.
  So [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 7:55pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• They can't decide which developer. Really.

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 7
  So the rumors turned out to be right: former Mayor John Leone is abstaining from the vote, leaving the choice of who the developer should be to the other six members of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp.
  Dick Kallenbach kicks things off by moving that the city hire D'Amato Realty' [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 7:46pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Guess who gets picked as the downtown developer

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 18
  All the insiders are gossiping away about the likely outcome of tonight's possible showdown vote by the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. It's the hometown favorite, D'Amato Realty, versus the Long Island-based Renaissance.
  Rumor has it that one of the seven BDDC members will abstain because of some sort of conflict' [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 11:18am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Downtown hopefuls' plans are online

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 9
  If you're interested in checking out the proposals offered by D'Amato and Renaissance, the two developers eyeing the chance to transform the former mall site, check them out online here.By the way, I'm not sure who put them online on the city's website, but I hope they'll remain [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2009, 1:31pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Downtown D-Day may be Monday

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 13
  The Bristol Downtown Development Corp. plans Monday to pick one of two competing developers to head the effort to pump life into the former downtown mall site.
  Reporter Jackie Majerus wrote this story taking a look at the financial condition and background of both firms.
  It's at least interesting the [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2009, 9:13am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Looking to the future in Bristol

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 12
  As anyone eyeing the stock market knows, it’s tough to know what’s going to happen next week, let alone next year.
  So leapfrogging ahead an entire quarter of a century to 2035 is inherently a stretch.
  But The Bristol Press is flexible enough to give it a shot – with [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 9:09am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Mayor meets with state delegation to seek fiscal relief

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 21
  
  In a rare news release, Mayor Art Ward had this to say:
  
  
  In the effort of affording our community the ability to sustain itself through these difficult economic times, I met with our State legislative delegation, State Senator Thomas Colapietro, Representative William Hamzy, Representative Frank Nicastro and Representative [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 2:58pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Charter revision back on the table

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 17
  Mayor Art Ward said he plans to name a new Charter Revision Commission in January that would have the power to recommend changes in the city government's blueprint.
  Possible changes include expanding the City Council and making the mayor's term four years.
  But the panel has the right to pursue [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 9:10am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Bristol in 2035

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 15
  
  We're working on a project about what Bristol might be like in 2035 -- a quarter century down the road.
  Now, of course, Bristol could be a smoldering ruin by then. Or it could be like something out of 'The Jetsons.' But what we're really looking [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 1:50pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Teen writers tackle recession, Sinterklaas' "Black Pete"

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 0
  This week's edition of The Tattoo features a story from the Netherlands about the controversy over Zwarte Piet, the Sambo-like black helper of St. Nicholas who brings toys to children on Sinterklaas, a holiday celebrated recently that clearly has some ties to the sort of Christmas tradition in the [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 12:08pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• No action on Board of Finance appointment

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 12
  Mayor Art Ward did not suggest anybody to fill the seat of retiring Board of Finance Vice Chair Roald Erling, who stepped down after two decades shortly before Election Day.
  I'll ask the mayor about it later.
  Wednesday morning update -- Ward said he plans to appoint someone in January.' [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 8:23pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Krawiecki hired as city attorney

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 37
  Former city attorney Edward Krawiecki, Jr has his old job back.
  Mayor Art Ward got the unanimous backing of city councilors to install the former state House minority leader as the city's top lawyer, a post he held during former Mayor William Stortz's tenure.
  Ward won backing to hire Tom [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 8:20pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Booting cars shelved for now

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 7
  Mayor Art Ward said tonight he plans to pull a proposal to hire a private firm to put mechanical boots on the vehicles of those who failed to pay their car and truck taxes.
  Ward said a number of people have raised valid questions about the concept that need to [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 7:01pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• City runs out of economic development dollars

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 40
  The city owes companies that have received economic development grants about $70,000 more than it has in the account to pay the bills.City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said the fund has $200,000 in it, but the city already owes $270,000 to companies that have been lured into expanding in Bristol or [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 4:53pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• City street beside Bristol Hospital may be declared no-smoking zone

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 13
  Bristol Hospital recently made a formal request to have a city road that runs through its grounds declared a no-smoking zone.
  Hospital President Kurt Barwis asked the city to have Newell Road – the primary entrance for its emergency room, medical office building and Connecticut Spine and Pain Center – [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 5:58pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Car tax deadbeats may have vehicles booted

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 32
  Those who owe back taxes on their cars and trucks may soon find their vehicle locked with a metal boot until they fork over the cash – along with another $175 to have the boot removed.
  The city is eyeing a contract with Georgia-based VioAlert Systems to allow it to [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 5:10pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Capital coverage of Connecticut politics? Let's hope so.

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 2
  Good luck to "Capitol Hill" , a newcomer that's trying to keep up with all of the Connecticut political news on a website whose appearance reminds me of one created by somebody who used to be big on the net.Its biggest initial failure is missing the chance to link [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 2:12pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Cawley, 86, buried in private ceremony today

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 1
  Georgine Cawley, 86, a former Bristol Central High School librarian and longtime member of the city's Library Board, died Wednesday and was buried in a private ceremony this morning. She was also active in the Bristol Garden Club and her church.My most distinct memories of Cawley are twofold:One is [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 1:53pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Details on unfunded mandates

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 4
  For those who wondered what unfunded mandates the city is constantly complaining about, take a look at the website compiled by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.
  
  *******
  Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
  Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 9:51am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Cockayne urges renewed look at using surprlus pension money

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 76
  With budget shortfalls looming, spending cuts likely and financial woes socking City Hall at the same time taxpayers are hurting, officials are scrambling to find ways to cope.
  Solutions are hard to come by.
  But city Councilor Ken Cockayne, a second-term Republican, said one possible answer is to revisit the [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 4:36pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Larson's Youth Council meeting Saturday

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 4
  Press release from U.S. Rep. John Larson, the 1st District congressman who represents Bristol:
  
  Congressman Larson and his Youth Advisory Cabinet to Participate in Public Hearing Hosted by the CT General Assembly’s Task Force on Children in the Recession
  
  Hearing Begins Saturday at 10:00AM at Legislative Office Building, [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 4:32pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Comptroller's office wins budget award

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 13
  The Government Finance Officers Association recently handed out a national award to the city comptroller's office for its presentation of the city's yearly budget.
  Calling the award "a significant achievement," the association said the honor "relfects the commitment" of the cit and its staff "to meeting the highest principles of" [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 8:37am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Larson's reaction to Obama's speech

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 2
  Press release from U.S. Rep. John Larson, the East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol:
  
  CONGRESSMAN LARSON STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S AFGHANISTAN SPEECH
  
  Washington, DC – Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, released the following statement after President Obama’s speech on the [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 10:43pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Obama's Afghanistan speech

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 24
  So, Bristol, what did you think? Is the president making the right decision?
  
  *******
  Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
  Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 8:44pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Rell picks municipal panel. Ward not among her choices.

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 26
  Gov. Jodi Rell issued this release today:
  
  Governor Rell: Cooperation is Key
  In Addressing Reduction of Municipal Aid
  Municipalities Given Strong Voice
  In Mandate Relief, Other Cost-Saving Recommendations
  
  Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that six municipal leaders from cities and towns – both large and small – [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 4:11pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Ward wants to serve on state panel

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 16
  Mayor Art Ward sent this email to the city's legislative delegation yesterday:
  
  According to today's news article, the Governor is formulating a committee which will include (6) six CT Mayors to evaluate the impact of her proposed cuts to municipalities. If this committee is not formed yet, I am [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 12:53pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• McMahon, Foley seek support in Bristol

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 12
  Though the political lineup for next year’s hotly contested statewide races remains uncertain, two of the leading GOP contenders pitched their campaigns to the city’s Republican Town Committee this week.
  With budget deficits soaring in both Hartford and Washington, jobs in short supply and a growing anger among voters toward [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 12:47pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Foley sounds like a gubernatorial candidate

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 17
  Speaking to the city's Republican Town Committee tonight, former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley sounded every bit like he's made up his mind to run for governor next year.
  Foley said he "can make more of a difference" as a governor than he can as a U.S. senator.
  Though [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 9:52pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Watch the busway vs. rail hearing in Hartford

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 0
  If you want to understand the busway issue, watch this (but be ready to lose three hours of your life in the process):
  
  
  *******
  Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
  Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 5:02pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• City upset at possible cut in state aid

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 28
  The prospect of losing as much as $1.5 million in aid from state budget cuts put on the table by Gov. Jodi Rell has city leaders up in arms.
  “Municipal aid cuts would be disastrous for our city,” second-term city Councilor Cliff Block said Monday.
  Mayor Art Ward postponed plans [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 3:48pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• City may another budget deficit

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 24
  As state officials scramble to close a large deficit by possibly cutting aid to cities, Bristol itself is eyeing a possible second straight budget shortfall.
  City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said the city will likely report a deficit when it finishes its fiscal year report in a couple of weeks.
  He [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 3:47pm EST
  by Steve Collins

• Two new issues of The Tattoo online now

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 1
  
  Composers Row: (from left to right) Gerald Shapiro, Robert Carl, Neely Bruce and Ken Steen at the Mitchell College performance of Bruce's "The Bill of Rights: Ten Amendments in Eight Motets." Shapiro is a professor of music at Brown University, where he is chair of [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 10:22am EST
  by Steve Collins

• Goldwasser one of many on unemployment lines

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 7
  Mickey Goldwasser, a familiar figure around town, is among the many middle class professionals who have landed on the unemployment lines due to the recession. I wrote about him here.
  *******
  Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
  Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 8:56am EST
  by Steve Collins

• State's unemployment fund goes broke

  —Bristol Blog

  Number of comments: 5
  Good story at hartfordbusiness.com about the state's unemployment fund going belly up. It needs to borrow $1 billion to pay claims for the next two years. The story is here.
  *******
  Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
  Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 8:52am EST
  by Steve Collins