By David Fortier
Come Sunday morning, UConn men’s basketball team will have defeated a feisty Alabama in a clinical, if not surgical, manner. Team is the critical term here–the starters all made contributions, each scoring in double figures, playing punishing defense, handing out assists and grabbing rebounds. Donovan Clingan, for certain, changed things for Alabama, if they thought they could pound the ball inside on offense.
And how fitting that the NCAA men’s final will feature two of the country’s big men in a head-to-head clash on Monday, with UConn taking on Purdue. It’s the one I have been waiting, if not a whole lot of other people, too. The matchup between Clingan and Zach Edey, two 7-footers, is one for the books.
The NCAA’s women’s final is today, and the UConn women’s team crawled their way to the Final Four, in what has to be one of Geno Auriemma’s finest years coaching. Who would have guessed that a team decimated by injuries would have gotten as far as they did–and to be as much fun as they were to watch?
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Around here this week, Police Chief Brian Gould said his final farewells, having retired. Bristol has been fortunate to have him through these past eight years, including several tumultuous ones dealing with the tragedy of Oct. 12. Gould always carried himself well, providing a model of civility and caring for the rest of us. “Ad Multos Annos,” Chief Gould.
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Monday, we have a solar eclipse, from around 2:30 to 4:30, around here. For a swath of the country, which is experiencing an “eclipse mad moment” with hotel rooms filling up and roadways and viewing points packed, there will be a total blocking out of the sun. This, of course, would be the “path of totality.”
According to AI, yes, I consulted AI, the eclipse begins over the Pacific Ocean and ends over the Atlantic, specifically, entering the country just south of Eagle Pass, Texas, and exiting just north of Houlton, Maine, over an hour and eight-minute period.
In Bristol, we will experience a partial eclipse, where the sun is not entirely blocked out, but much of it will be. Last time around, about seven years ago, I headed over to the Bristol Public Library, where along with many others, I watched from the lawn. The library also had the special eclipse viewing glasses–we have been warned–avoid looking directly at this event with the naked eye or without the appropriate eye protection–and I believe library staff will be handing them out tomorrow.
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Listening this week features a Lex Fridman podcast, “#419 — Sam Altman: OpenAI, GPT-5, Sora, Board Saga, Elon Musk, Ilya, Power and AGI.” Yes, this is kind of geeky material, but interesting in that it provides a look into the mind of one of the people who is setting the groundwork for many of the advances in artificial intelligence. Altman was let go by OpenAI, brought back, has worked for Musk and is a force in the industry. Click here.
As for reading, it has been much less taxing that listening to Fridman and Altman. I finished Jimmy Breslin’s “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.” I am a fan of Breslin’s journalism, so I wanted to check out one of his longer prose works. As with his all of his writing, the work is crisp, profane, humorous and tinged with humanity–granted, there is more than a little irony, in that he is dealing with gangsters.
Anyone have a recommendation? Email dfortier@bristoledition.org.
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City meetings this week include the following:
On Monday, April 8
- American Rescue Plan Task Force, canceled.
- Cemetery Commission, 5:30 p.m., Bristol Historical Society.
- Zoning Commission, 6 p.m., council chambers, City Hall.
- Aquifer Protection Agency, 6:30 p.m., council chambers, City Hall.
On Tuesday, April 9
- Joint Meeting of City Council and Board of Finance, 6:45 p.m., council chambers, City Hall.
- City Council Meeting, 7 p.m., council chambers, City Hall.
On Wednesday, April 10
- Persons with Disabilities, 7 p.m., 1st Floor Meeting Room 1-1, City Hall.
On Thursday, April 11
- Board of Health–Public Hearing, 2:30 p.m., 240 Stafford Ave.
- Bristol-Burlington Board of Health, 3 p.m., 240 Stafford Ave.
- Retirement Board, 5 p.m., council chambers, City Hall.
TBE will do our best to update meeting times and locations, but it’s a good idea to check the agendas ahead of time for cancellations. Click here for specific meetings and times.
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Enjoy!
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