Happy birthday, Joe! It’s quiet after a Saturday afternoon fire, and more on our shifting relationship

Posted By: David Fortier October 13, 2024

By David Fortier

Come Sunday morning, World War II veteran and Iwo Jima survivor Joe Caminiti will be celebrating his 100th birthday. Yesterday at the American Legion, Joe was honored for his service and his long life, which is another wonderful achievement. Earlier this week, he received the key to the city at the council meeting, and the mayor read a proclamation making this, Joe Caminiti Day in Bristol. Happy Birthday, Joe!

(TBE intends to run a video of Joe being interviewed by Vietnam veteran John Lodovico, as soon as we figure out how to load the video on our site.)

This week Hartford Stage started its season with a creepy “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. Mary and I attended Friday night. Once again, we are lucky to have such great theater so close. (And of course, The Rockwell on Memorial Boulevard is just getting going. Thursday night was another movie night, with “E.T.,” and there are some terrific shows coming up.)

And on a sad note, there was a fire Saturday afternoon on the corner of Broadview and Goodwin. A garage took the brunt of the damage, a total loss. Residual damage? Three homes, including the house on the same property, some fences and a couple of cars. It’s quiet now, but the ash and smoke linger in the air.

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TBE is still turning the corner in newly forming relationship with our readers. We have plenty to learn, so I am guessing it is going to take some patience. Relying totally on donations and grants will take time to develop. A big part of this is building trust and even more convincing people that local news is worthwhile.

In the meantime, if you are already convinced, sign up for our newsletters and click that “Donate” button. And yes, we will be featuring some new writers–one might even make a debut this afternoon. And yes, we will be running stories from CT Mirror.

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Recommended listening is a bit different this week. It starts with a podcast, pretty typically, but then there are two YouTube videos with the same featured guest as the podcast.

The Gray Area with Sean Illing episode, “Your mind needs chaos,” features philosopher of neuroscience Mark Miller with guest host Oshan Jarow sitting in for Illing. Neuroscience and philosophy may sound intimidating, but it needn’t be. Just give it a chance.

For instance, I have conversations most days about how people make up their minds about important issues, from politics to hybrids versus EV’s. Knowing a little more about how anyone one of us goes about making these decisions can only help.

To reinforce this, I’ve included the YouTube video links, for more of Miller. Click here, for “Dr. Mark MIller: Why do we need philosophy in neuroscience?” Click here, for Episode 14: “Dr. Mark Miller | The Contemplative Science Podcast.”

For reading there is an article in the New Yorker by Elizabeth Kolbert. “When the Artic Melts: What the fate of Greenland means for the rest of the Earth,” published in the Oct. 7 issue, provides a graphic illustration of what happens when major glaciers diminish over time. Sign up for a free account on the New Yorker site or take a trip to the Bristol Public Library or F.N. Manross Memorial Library to read the article there.

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City meetings this week include the following:

On Monday, Oct. 14

  • Columbus Day.

On Tuesday, Oct. 15

  • Real Estate Committee, 5 p.m. Meeting Room 1-2, city hall. For a virtual meeting link, click here.
  • Energy Commission–Special Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Meeting Room 111, city hall. For a virtual meeting link, click here.
  • Board of Police Commissioners, 6 p.m. Council chamber, city hall. For a virtual meeting link, click here.
  • Sewer and Water Commission, 6 p.m. Bristol Water & Sewer Filtration Plant, 1080 Terryville Ave.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16

  • Code Enforcement Workshop, 3 p.m. Mayor’s Office, city hall.
  • Salary Committee, 5 p.m. Human Resources Conference Room, city hall.
  • Board of Park Commissioners–Special Meeting, 5 p.m. 416 Perkins St. Dog Park. For a virtual link, click here.
  • Board of Park Commissioners, 6 p.m. Council chambers, city hall. For a virtual meeting link, click here.

On Thursday, Oct. 17

  • Commission on Aging, 11 a.m. Room 109, Bristol Senior Center, 240 Stafford Ave.
  • Citation Hearings, 3 p.m. City hall.
  • Animal Control Building Committee, 5 p.m. Council chambers, city hall. For a virtual meeting link, click here.
  • Board of Public Works, 6 p.m. Council chambers, city hall. For a virtual meeting link, click here.
  • Zoning Commission–Special Meeting, 6 p.m. Online via Zoom.
  • Energy Commission, 7 p.m. Meeting Room 116, city hall.

On Friday, Oct. 18

  • No meeting posted.

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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If you know a high school student who would like to get first-hand experience covering sports or city government, send them our way. Contact editor@bristoledition.org.

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Enjoy!

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