Another Deepster Yard Goats Update

[August_West]

To date in 2016, there have been 216 murders in NYC, 67 of which happened in the Bronx and 7 of those took place in the 44th Precinct where Yankee Stadium is. Yet, a lot of people still go to games.

NYPD - Office of the Chief of Department

Looks like there has been at least 3 murders within a 1/2 mile of Fenway Park in Boston since 2015.

Like any city, be smart. If you are not familiar with the city, drive to the stadium, park near by (adjacent or in downtown Hartford in this case) and then walk back immediately after the game when Police will still be present. Don't go for a stroll after the game at 10 PM up Albany Ave for example. Even if you do, you'll likely just get mugged unless you resist. Rare random murders are rare. Most take place between people who know each other - rival gangs/drug dealers, domestic violence, etc.

This of course assumes that the Yard Goats will actually play a game in Hartford this century.

Are you saying the Yard Goats are going to have the draw and allure of the New York Yankees?

 

[Adios]

People think the stadium is a great idea. I don't think it's going to a savior for the city or even a great destination for a family Friday night.

Believe it or not, the Bridgeport Bluefish were huge in the beginning of how Bridgeport was perceived.

However, whatever is going on here is not good PR for Hartford, though I think they'll be fine in the long run.

 

[Palatine]

I don't know. I guess I view minor league baseball as a "family" type environment. Mom, Dad and the kids head in for a game with some popcorn, peanuts and crackerjack. I would hope that stumbling over a dead body on your way to the car isn't part of it. That's just me though. We know I am not one of those folks that thinks Hartford is "just fine".

I've been to Baltimore a ton. The Inner Harbor is a straight shot down from the stadium and has all your hotel/restaurant accommodations in walking distance. You're not walking through projects from The Wire from the game to the Inner Harbor Marriott.

Listen. Some folks here think Hartford is fine. So, I post articles when people are murdered or shot around the stadium, in broad daylight, weekends, weeknights. People think the stadium is a great idea. I don't think it's going to a savior for the city or even a great destination for a family Friday night. If you disagree, that's fine. You have to recognize though, that since I have posted this stuff a) there's been a lot more shootings and b) there still hasn't been a single pitch thrown in that multi-million dollar dung heap.

Your halcyon view of Baltimore may not hold up to scrutiny.

On Saturday, a 23-year-old man was shot about 2:50 a.m. in the 400 block of Water St. downtown, just a block from the Inner Harbor. A 28-year-old man was shot in the South Clifton Park neighborhood and a 39-year-old man was shot in the Harlem Park neighborhood.

As of April 16, shootings were up compared to the same time last year by 39 percent. Homicides were up 16 percent, and nonfatal shootings were up 49 percent.

As of Monday, there had been 75 homicides in the city in 2016

10 shot, 3 fatally, amid weekend violence in Baltimore

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Are you saying the Yard Goats are going to have the draw and allure of the New York Yankees?

Or, Hartford will suddenly have the same population density of the Bronx? Both?

 

[John]

Your halcyon view of Baltimore may not hold up to scrutiny.

On Saturday, a 23-year-old man was shot about 2:50 a.m. in the 400 block of Water St. downtown, just a block from the Inner Harbor. A 28-year-old man was shot in the South Clifton Park neighborhood and a 39-year-old man was shot in the Harlem Park neighborhood.

As of April 16, shootings were up compared to the same time last year by 39 percent. Homicides were up 16 percent, and nonfatal shootings were up 49 percent.

As of Monday, there had been 75 homicides in the city in 2016

10 shot, 3 fatally, amid weekend violence in Baltimore

Avon wants his corners.

 

[August_West]

Avon wants his corners.

classic Avon

 

[Adios]

Believe it or not, the Bridgeport Bluefish were huge in the beginning of shifting how Bridgeport was perceived.*

Does Deepster squirt ketchup on himself every time there's a shooting in Hartford?

 

[Hoophound]

It is minor league ball, nobody actually cares.
The stadium is just a distraction in the state. Deep's crime reports are actually kind of interesting. It helps me keep a pulse on what is going on in the city. I will still take my wife and kids there for a good Italian meal and maybe a sub in October, but we won't be buying a condo at this point. West Hartford is the place to be in that area. Hartford will hurt until the surrounding area somehow embraces it. Big mistake letting the state capital be so small.

 

[Giscombe12]

Avon wants his corners.

But never on a Sunday.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

It is minor league ball, nobody actually cares.
The stadium is just a distraction in the state. Deep's crime reports are actually kind of interesting. It helps me keep a pulse on what is going on in the city. I will still take my wife and kids there for a good Italian meal and maybe a sub in October, but we won't be buying a condo at this point. West Hartford is the place to be in that area. Hartford will hurt until the surrounding area somehow embraces it. Big mistake letting the state capital be so small.

That's actually a very good point. In the Northeast (primarily), cities and their suburbs are separate and its a lot of me v. them in various policies. Hartford is 18 square miles, New Haven is 20, Bridgeport is 15. Nearby, Newark NJ is 25, Albany NY is 20, Providence is 20 while Boston is on the large side for a New England city at at 50 square miles. Outside of the Northeast, Pittsburgh, a city that some compare Hartford to is 55 square miles, Atlanta is 130, Denver is 155, and Houston is 630, which is 1/2 the size of the State of Rhode Island. Raleigh comes in at just 140 square miles; but, Wake County controls the schools regions, which compasses 850 square miles. That links the city and its opportunities and issues with the suburbs and they at least have to make an effort to work together for everyone's benefit. Not so in places like Hartford where is no link between the city (Hartford) an West Hartford, Glastonbury, Farmington, Avon, etc.

 

[Padutch5]

That's actually a very good point. In the Northeast (primarily), cities and their suburbs are separate and its a lot of me v. them in various policies. Hartford is 18 square miles, New Haven is 20, Bridgeport is 15. Nearby, Newark NJ is 25, Albany NY is 20, Providence is 20 while Boston is on the large side for a New England city at at 50 square miles. Outside of the Northeast, Pittsburgh, a city that some compare Hartford to is 55 square miles, Atlanta is 130, Denver is 155, and Houston is 630, which is 1/2 the size of the State of Rhode Island. Raleigh comes in at just 140 square miles; but, Wake County controls the schools regions, which compasses 850 square miles. That links the city and its opportunities and issues with the suburbs and they at least have to make an effort to work together for everyone's benefit. Not so in places like Hartford where is no link between the city (Hartford) an West Hartford, Glastonbury, Farmington, Avon, etc.

Not sure I understand this no link between the burbs and Hartford. Here in Farmington there has been an exchange program in the schools for years. Kids are bussed out to Farmington and we bus kids into The magnet schools. I don't know how many. Students are included. You might also look at the spend per student in Hartford vs the burbs. My collection is that, forever what reason, the spend is quite a bit more in Hartford than in the burbs.

I do agree that regionalization Is part of the answer. It makes no sense to have all of these small towns and school districts duplicating services. I am actually in favor of the burbs contributing to the Hartford budget. However the quid pro quo for this is to give the burbs a vote proportionate to what they contribute [I believe the term for that is no taxation without representation]. As a recent editorial in the Courant indicated, that is where it falls apart. No big city machine is going to risk giving up its stranglehold on the city apparatus. .

 

[mauconnfan]

There's an answer to all of this, when the games begin be sure to speckle in a couple "Gun Night" giveaways to assure the get back safe to their transportation.

GUN NIGHT sponsored by Deepster

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Not sure I understand this no link between the burbs and Hartford. Here in Farmington there has been an exchange program in the schools for years. Kids are bussed out to Farmington and we bus kids into The magnet schools. I don't know how many. Students are included. You might also look at the spend per student in Hartford vs the burbs. My collection is that, forever what reason, the spend is quite a bit more in Hartford than in the burbs.

The primary difference is that the program you mention in Farmington is voluntary. In Wake County NC, for example, it is not voluntary. The county assigns the school any given student goes to and does try to address racial and socioeconomic balance in the schools, primarily high school. Look at the boundary for Green Hope HC in Cary, one of the top HS's in the state (and country). Most students are drawn from the immediate areas around the school; but, students are also bused in from a neighborhood in urban Raleigh.

Green Hope High

 

[ctchamps]

Had a romantic day with my wife yesterday. Hiked in the morning in a nearby park, went to a new restaurant, "The Black Rose", both of us had corn beef and cabbage, corn beef tender and flavorful, she choosing a Harp Ale and me a craft beer - Sexy Chocolate Stout BP, a DQ stop for blizzards, afternoon siesta and then a night game at McCormick Field to see the Tourists. Parking is lousy but stadium, evening, cost, and way the stadium was run makes me excited to go again.

 

[CL82]

Yard Goats Owner Offers to Loan Hartford Cash to Finish Ballpark

 

[John]

Yard Goats Owner Offers to Loan Hartford Cash to Finish Ballpark

Eager to get the problem-plagued Dunkin' Donuts Park completed, Hartford Yard Goats owner Josh Solomon proposed loaning the city money to cover the remaining construction costs — an offer the city rejected.

Mayor Luke Bronin said Tuesday that, although he shares the team's "sense of urgency," the city would continue to work with Arch Insurance, the company guaranteeing completion of the ballpark, to finish the project. Arch is investigating who is at fault for construction delays and cost overruns and how work should proceed.

 

[Padutch5]

Eager to get the problem-plagued Dunkin' Donuts Park completed, Hartford Yard Goats owner Josh Solomon proposed loaning the city money to cover the remaining construction costs — an offer the city rejected.

Mayor Luke Bronin said Tuesday that, although he shares the team's "sense of urgency," the city would continue to work with Arch Insurance, the company guaranteeing completion of the ballpark, to finish the project. Arch is investigating who is at fault for construction delays and cost overruns and how work should proceed.

While I've been highly critical of the city in this Debacle, I'm supportive of Bronin's rejection of this "offer". If the terms of the deal Soloman put up are accurate in today's Courant are accurate, the deal made no sense for the city.

 

[John]

While I've been highly critical of the city in this Debacle, I'm supportive of Bronin's rejection of this "offer". If the terms of the deal Soloman put up are accurate in today's Courant are accurate, the deal made no sense for the city.

I agree, the city was giving away a lot for this deal.

 

[8893]

Just one problem with this highly retouched picture.

View attachment 14992

You're not in it?

 

[John]

Report Puts Cost Of Dunkin' Donuts Park At $71.7 Million

While city officials pegged contruction of Dunkin' Donuts Park at $63 million, the cost of design work, land acquisition and other expenses have pushed the project's overall price tag to $71.7 million, according to a report prepared by city auditors.

Auditors reviewed all costs associated with the stadium, as well as the larger Downtown North development around it, at the request of "some concerned Connecticut citizens," their report states. They estimated the city's total investment in Downtown North to be $102.5 million.

 

[8893]

Report Puts Cost Of Dunkin' Donuts Park At $71.7 Million

While city officials pegged contruction of Dunkin' Donuts Park at $63 million, the cost of design work, land acquisition and other expenses have pushed the project's overall price tag to $71.7 million, according to a report prepared by city auditors.

Auditors reviewed all costs associated with the stadium, as well as the larger Downtown North development around it, at the request of "some concerned Connecticut citizens," their report states. They estimated the city's total investment in Downtown North to be $102.5 million.

Does that price tag include the costs for the bullet-proof dome over the entire development, or no?

 

[SubbaBub]

Considering the problems they've had its not that bad of an overrun. It's not good and they're not done but I thought they would be deeper in the red.

Btw, I heard Gresh in the car last night. Wow, he knows nothing about nothing. He was all up in arms about CP having a hand in selecting it's own performance bonding company. Seriously?

 

[Deepster]

So far, this has really been money well spent. Bravo again, Hartford.

 

[8893]

So far, this has really been money well spent. Bravo again, Hartford.

Palatine says it's still a bargain.

 

[UConnStats]

Anyone who had any sliver of hope of the Whalers returning can forget about it now, I'd assume. Pretty embarrassing. Hartford needs to get this done even if it's the most expensive PR move in history.