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Showing posts from May, 2022

Amazon in Enfield: A first glimpse of their plan

Amazon bought 200 acres of industrial land off Bacon Road in Enfield about a year ago. Until now, what they planned to do with was a guess. A zoning filing offers the first real clue. Amazon.com Services LLC has filed a zoning text amendment seeking to allow motor vehicle repair garages in the I-1 industrial zone under specific conditions. It appears on the May 28 PZC agenda, with a public hearing scheduled for June 25. The proposed amendment is narrowly written. It would allow fleet vehicle maintenance on site, but prohibit body work, outdoor storage, and battery storage. Whatever Amazon is planning, the operation will require maintaining vehicles on the property. Will this ultimately become a fulfillment center, regional distribution hub, delivery station, or something else is unclear. The May 28 meeting may give some indication. Implications for Enfield The filing comes at a time when Enfield's employer base is changing significantly. [Data from latest town audit] Top employers ...

Ban gun purchases for people under 21

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Ban gun purchases for people under 21 is something Congress should act on. That's one big step since teens are responsible for a disproportionate share of school shootings. Until then, any 18 year who buys an AR-15 and a load of ammunition ought to be an automatic red flag. Unfortunately, the median age of school shooters is 16. That might make a case for requiring gun owners to store their weapons securely. The U.S. Secret Service studied school shootings and what it found in 25 attacks that involved firearms: "Nineteen attackers (76%) acquired a firearm from the home of a parent or another close relative. In half of the firearms cases (n = 12, 48%), evidence indicates the firearm was either readily accessible, or it was not secured in a meaningful way." You combine immature and mentally ill kids who have easy access to firearms, and you have a problem. Requiring secure storage, and raising the purchase age, might help. Responsible gun owners already secure their weapon...