Town Council to Consider Housing at Fermi Site

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Enfield is weighing redevelopment plans for the former Fermi High School Annex, with housing at the center and community spaces like the pool and auditorium set to remain. Enfield is considering selling parts — if not all — of Fermi High School, with redevelopment focused on new housing, most likely senior or age-restricted. The town wants to retain some of the building’s facilities, including the pool, auditorium, and meeting spaces, while the sports fields and track would remain town-owned. This plan is outlined in a request for proposals (RFP) that the Town Council will take up at a special meeting Monday at 6:15 p.m. at Town Hall. [ See Council agenda packet ] The presentation itself . Pickleball Courts and Hidden Motives    The timing sheds new light on the town’s recent decision to build pickleball courts at Fermi. That $600,000 project — paid out of town reserves — now appears less about meeting recreation needs and more about making the property attractive to potential...

Climate change impacts in Connecticut




I can imagine mowing my lawn by next weekend, which seems early. Already the weeds are racing ahead. This is not surprising.

Temperatures in Connecticut have increased 2.8 degrees since 1970. Our average annual temp that year was about 48, it's now nearing 51. This coincides with a dramatic rise in CO2.

In 1970, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere was at 325 ppm; it's now at about 410 ppm. Pre-industrial was 280 ppm. 

Connecticut is ranked 10th among fastest warming states by Climate Central. Alaska is first.

I'm not entirely sure why Connecticut, along with Rhode Island and Vermont, are seeing faster temperature rises.

Clearly, we're seeing an increase in extreme weather in the U.S., which includes fires. We have been fairly lucky so far in Connecticut.

It's hard to know for sure what climate change will mean for Connecticut specifically. But a 3 degree increase since 1970 does not bode well. We're doing nothing globally to address the problem, and CO2 emissions are accelerating with economic growth. The New York Times recently described the increases in carbon as a speeding freight train

In Enfield, we will likely hear lawn mower engines by next weekend. It will seem that all is normal, but what we once considered normal is disappearing and rapidly. 

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