Opinion - Courant.com

A Eulogy For New London's St. Mary's School

Tom Condon — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:05:47 GMT

Society loses when Catholic schools shut down

Much is made, rightly, of the gains made by many charter schools. But as the writer Sol Stern observed about New York City, every time a charter school opens, two Catholic schools close because of financial difficulties.

Prescription Drug Tracking System Worth Keeping

Wed, 30 May 2012 21:02:30 GMT

Keeping track of medical prescriptions for controlled substances such as narcotic-based painkillers is important, and it isn't an issue that can be handled by pharmacies or by doctors alone. Both must act in concert to make sure that such medicines aren't over- or under-prescribed, and that no one acquires multiple prescriptions to abuse the system.

Report Clears Meriden Cop, But More To Come

Wed, 30 May 2012 21:02:28 GMT

Excessive force, favoritism inquiry not the last word

A so-called independent investigation commissioned by the city of Meriden does not put to rest allegations that a police officer used excessive force against suspects and was treated favorably in disciplinary proceedings because he is the chief's son.

Swimming With The E. Coli In Chicago

Robert M. Thorson — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:02:18 GMT

I love it! Government in general and Chicago's park district in particular is letting us decide whether we should swim in our own effluent or not.

EDITORIAL Teacher Evaluation Planning Belongs In The Open

Tue, 29 May 2012 21:38:18 GMT

Why were numerous meetings held behind closed doors?

State Department of Education committees acted illegally in meeting numerous times behind closed doors on one of the most important parts of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's education reform plan, how teacher and principal evaluations will be done.

EDITORIAL Drinking And Boating Don't Mix

Tue, 29 May 2012 21:38:05 GMT

State sees increase in alcohol-related boating deaths

Boating under the influence of alcohol is as dangerous as — in some situations more dangerous than — driving under the influence. This should be obvious, but apparently it is not, at least to some pickled skippers.

Tribute To Patron Saint Of Couch Potatoes

Leonard Pitts Jr. — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:38:00 GMT

We are gathered here today to memorialize a man who revolutionized our lives.

EDITORIAL Connecticut On Right Side Over Wrongful Convictions

Tue, 29 May 2012 21:28:27 GMT

Exonerations Registry: National archive highlights miscarriages of justice

Convicting an innocent person of a crime is profoundly unjust; it is one of the most heinous mistakes society can make. It deprives an innocent person of freedom, often for years, while a real criminal remains on the loose.

FRESH TALK Golfers, Graduates Learn From Adversity

By DANIEL DINUNZIO | OTHER OPINION — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:28:25 GMT

I think of life as a round of golf, a journey full of twists and turns.

The Door Didn't Hit Me — I Left

Susan Campbell — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:52:00 GMT

Well, that was fun.

EDITORIAL Poetry's Rock Stars Light Up Sunken Garden

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:30:00 GMT

A Connecticut literary treasure for 20 years

When hundreds of people showed up for a outdoor poetry reading in Farmington in 1992, causing a traffic jam, "it dawned on us," said an organizer, "this was going to be a yearly thing." That was an understatement.

A Dissident Reminds Us Of Memorial Day's Value

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:29:00 GMT

Chen Guangcheng was beaten, imprisoned for exercising freedoms Americans take for grante

Memorial Day is — and should be — about remembering American sacrifices in war. It therefore may seem odd to look to a Chinese man as the exemplar of the holiday's meaning. But it is by no means a stretch.

Stunning Newton Comeback Yields Strange Bedfellows

Kevin Rennie — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:21:00 GMT

Bridgeport continues to challenge Waterbury as the home of the most embarrassing and bewildering politics in Connecticut. Former state Sen. Ernie Newton did last week what few in Connecticut politics have achieved: He subdued bumptious Working Families and Democratic Gov.Dannel P. Malloy.

'Scootie' Will Take Us Where We Need To Go

Colin McEnroe — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:21:00 GMT

We need to talk about Scootie.

EDITORIAL Time To Prepare: Rising Sea Levels Threaten Connecticut Coast

Fri, 25 May 2012 22:26:00 GMT

Tropical Storm Irene hammered the houses in the low-lying Cosey Beach area of East Haven last August. Now, according to town officials, most of those homes are being rebuilt.

COMMENTARY School Reform Misses Interdistrict Opportunities

By MARTHA STONE | COMMENTARY — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:22:00 GMT

Conspicuously absent from the General Assembly's recent debate over education reform and the need to close the state's worst in the nation achievement gap between poor and more affluent students was any mention of the Connecticut Supreme Court's decision in the Sheff v. O'Neill desegregation case and its constitutional mandate for quality integrated education.

COMMENTARY Commissioner: What Education Reform Means

By STEFAN PRYOR | COMMENTARY — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:22:00 GMT

This month, the General Assembly passed and Gov.Dannel P. Malloysigned one of the most comprehensive pieces of education legislation this state has seen in a generation.

A Day To Remember Duty, Honor — And Sacrifice

By M. RANDALL COLLINS Jr. | COMMENTARY — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:20:00 GMT

With the approach of Memorial Day, I think of my commanding officer Capt. Brian Letendre and listening to his speech during New Britain's Memorial Day observance in 2005.

OTHER VIEWS Extent Of Wrongful Convictions Alarming

By DAVID CAMERON — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:49:00 GMT

The first report of the new national registry of exonerations, issued last weekend, suggests the extent of wrongful convictions in the country is far greater than previously recognized and provides new insights about why such convictions occur nationally and in Connecticut..

EDITORIAL CT Race For Cure Hurt By Planned Parenthoood Flap

Fri, 25 May 2012 21:49:00 GMT

When the Susan G. Komen Foundationdecided to defund Planned Parenthood earlier this year, the Connecticut affiliate was the only one in the country with the courage to immediately — and publicly — stand up to that stupidity.

EDITORIAL Ernie Newton Shouldn't Run

EDITORIAL — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Former Senator: Convicted bribe-taker is giving Bridgeport and the legislature a giant headache

Ernie Newton's winning the Democratic Party endorsement Monday night for his old Bridgeport-centered state Senate seat is disquieting news. What are Democrats thinking?

PLACE State Police OT Dilemma: High Price Of Protecting Governor

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:10:38 GMT

Last October, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced a laudable goal of reducing state overtime payments by 10 percent, which would save $25 million over the previous year. Although the Malloy administration has made real progress — overtime payments are down by 5 percent — there are still some pockets of resistance, some agencies where overtime is rampant.

Teach Kids Skills To Fend Off Bullies

Stan Simpson — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:03:31 GMT

Forget about the old adage about "sticks and stones."

A Baseball Addict Confronts His Demons

Charles Krauthammer — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:21:00 GMT

It was our much-anticipated quarterly lunch with Tim Kurkjian, baseball analyst extraordinaire, wherein George Will and I bathe in a constant flow of obscure statistics, Kurkjian oddities and ribald anecdotes.

State Police Should Skip No-Confidence Vote

Wed, 23 May 2012 22:12:00 GMT

Call center plan is sensible; union should not object

The Connecticut State Police Union should rethink its plan to conduct a "no confidence" vote against Public Safety Commissioner Reuben Bradford and state police Col. Danny Stebbins. It will accomplish nothing.