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Showing posts from October, 2020

Calculate your tax break from the homestead exemption

The Town Council will vote Monday on a homestead tax exemption. The only question is what percentage it will set. Under state law, the exemption can be between 5% and 35%. On a home assessed at $100,000, a 15% exemption reduces the assessment to $85,000. Your taxes are based on the lower assessment. It’s not clear what percentage the council will set. At 20%, the exemption should wipe out any tax increase from revaluation for many homes. It may be enough to allow the town to increase spending by 3% with little tax impact on qualifying homes. But don’t be surprised if the council sets a 35% exemption. That could mean a significant tax cut. It's also possible that the council could start at a lower exemption, say 15%, and increase it year by year.  Who qualifies Homes that are owner-occupied qualify. That includes single-family houses, condos and two-family houses where the owner lives in one unit. Rental houses, apartment buildings, and commercial property do not qualify. State law ...
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Connecticut's climate crisis

In my bicycle travels, I've come across a few of these signs. I love them.  Climate change is especially problematic, and "Science is Real" hits home. The message here is about climate change.  In the most recent debate, Joe Biden talked about how climate change is an "existential threat" to humankind. He was honest with Americans.  Now, let's talk about Connecticut.  Connecticut is in a hot zone -- one of the hottest in the lower 48 states. (All figures are in Fahrenheit) Since 1970, Connecticut's average temperature has increased by 2.84°F, the nation's 10th highest state, according to  data by Climate Central . Rhode Island is 9th, and Vermont, 8th, all with similar temperature rises.  A Washington Post  analysis of temperature changes  since 1895 reported that Hartford County's temperature increased by 3°F.  New London County temperature has increased by 3.6°F over this same period. Rhode Island's Washington County, which abuts New Londo...
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Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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Nine suggestions for improving Enfield

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Thompsonville will never be a commercial center for Enfield.  Improving Enfield is going to take creative thinking and course corrections. The town has focused its development in the wrong places, namely Thompsonville. It has pinned its hopes on the wrong things, namely the train station. And the town has neglected the most important part of this community: the Enfield Mall area. Here are suggestions for making Enfield a better place. (1) Redevelop the mall area into high-density residential, office and shopping complexes. Create smaller affordable living units in high rise buildings. Move the library and town hall to the mall area. That will bring foot traffic and help anchor the commercial businesses. Create shared office spaces. Develop a new town green there. The shopping area is our town center and it's time to recognize that. Acknowledge that the town's laissez-fair approach to the mall area has failed. (2) Stop spending money to develop Thompsonville as a commercial cent...
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Is the Enfield street name “Indian Run” offensive?

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Indian Run, Enfield, Conn.   This summer, the town received a letter from Nick Lefakis, a retired full-time professor at Asnuntuck Community College. He asked the town “to look into changing the name of D’Annunzio Ave.,” the Patch reported . Lefakis wrote: “Further examination of Gabriele D'Annunzio identifies him as a fascist and a mentor to Benito Mussolini, who was aligned with Adolf Hitler during World War II and fought against the American forces and our allies.” In the pre-World War II era, D'Annunzio was described as “Italy’s famous poet" in the Thompsonville Press. In one Thompsonville Press report: “Gabriele d’Annunzio, Italy’s famous poet, whose flying feats are the admiration of his countrymen, has not the slightest fear of death, and has a presentiment [a feeling about the future] that he will die in action. To a friend who interviewed him he remarked: “My worldly life has ended. What can I do after the war? I shall write no more. Every time I go off on an expe...
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Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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