Eagle Returning
NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) – “The Eagle” is expected to land -or more accurately dock – later this week at its home port in Connecticut. The Coast Guard ship is a training vessel for the nearby cadets at the Coast Guard Academy in New London.
The Day reports that the Coast Guard sailing ship will be moored at the city’s pier for three days and will be open for free public tours.
The Eagle is the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service, according to a Coast Guard news release. This means it has three masts with square sails that are its primary means of propulsion.
Originally the Eagle was a German navy ship. It was given to the United States as reparations following World War II.
State May Foot Road Bill
A nearly $600,000 road project in Colchester could be eligible for a state grant. The state Department of Transportation is set to vote within the month on a grant to rehabilitate Halls Hill Road. The work would include adding bike lanes and sidewalks, a crosswalk and paving. Officials say Halls Hill is the most traveled road in Colchester with 4,700 vehicles a day.
Powering JC
Officials in Griswold are hoping to avoid power outages in Jewett City. They’re contemplating acquiring a self-sustaining microgrid that would power selected buildings when electricity goes out. The project could cost as much as $125,000 but leaders say state grant funding may be available. If installed, the idea is to be able to power buildings off the microgrid for 28 days.
Former Local Downs O’Reilly
The downfall of cable news kingpin Bill O’Reilly can be contributed to a former resident of Southeastern Connecticut. An East Lyme High School graduate broke the story of Fox News’ O’Reilly and the network settling numerous sexual harrassment complaints. Emily Steel writes for “The New York Times” covering media business. It’s not the first time Stone had written about O’Reilly. In 2015, she said O’Reilly threatened her if she wasn’t fair on a story she was working on pertaining to O’Reilly’s coverage of the Falklands War. Steel, a 2002 graduate of East Lyme High, grew up in Nebraska and moved to Connecticut when she was 12. She earned a degree from the University of North Carolina.
Courts Up, Trees Down
New tennis courts are going up at the Stonington Community Center and trees are coming down. That has some neighbors trying to save the trees. One silver maple has already met its demise and the cutting is to begin in earnest today. Neighbors have tied blue ribbons around the trees they would like to be spared. The COMO says an arborist has determined which trees should come down and they’ve been marked with green ribbons. Fifteen are to be saved.
