TWO BUILDINGS BOUGHT
Two five-story buildings in Norwich, that front both Main and Water streets and appraised for a total value of $288,000 in late April, were sold at auction on Saturday. The winning bid went to Bedford, N.Y., real estate developer Mirash Dedvukaj for $500,000. Dedvukaj said he would renovate the buildings for housing and commercial development. He said he would welcome negotiating new leases with the three current business tenants. Attorney James Young, appointed by New London Superior Court to conduct the auction, told bidders the sale is subject to court approval.
TAX TASK FORCE FORMED
A new task force is being formed to look into questions after several local non profits were notified by Norwich assessor Donna Ralston that they were being denied tax-exempt status. She said nearly three-dozen nonprofits were not exempt from property taxes. James Butler, the executive director of the Southeastern Connecticut council of governments, said at the council’s Wednesday meeting that it was his suggestion to study the tax impact on municipalities and possibly propose legislation that might benefit both. A forum is being held this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. at Otis Library to educate nonprofits on state statutes and public policy regarding tax exemption. Nonprofits provide critical services at a highly competitive cost, often more competitively than what the public sector can provide.
CONN COLLEGE GRADUATES 424
Connecticut College awarded bachelor of arts degrees to 424 graduates from 29 states and 13 countries yesterday. Graduates wore commemorative stoles over their black gowns to mark the college’s 100th commencement. Connecticut College President Katherine Bergeron told the Class of 2018, that like the college’s first students they “seized the opportunity to think and do and lead.” Bergeron created a new “Connecticut College Victory Song,” and an elm tree was planted last week overlooking Tempel Green in honor of the college’s centenary class.
COMCAST EXTENDS COVERAGE
Cable Provider Comcast will be expanding its network to New London. Comcast announced last month that it was launching a new internet service delivering speeds up to one gigabit per second to residential and business customers in Connecticut. Comcast employs more than 1,300 people in local call centers, Xfinity Stores and technical operations centers. Atlantic Broadband also provides cable services in New London.
WATER TAXI HOURS EXTENDED
The water taxi that shuttles passengers between Groton and New London and throughout the Thames River Heritage Park will run later in the evening this summer. Beginning May 25th, the last boat taking passengers to Thames River Landing in Groton will leave New London’s City Pier on Fridays and Saturdays at 9:20 p.m. and Sundays at 8:40 p.m. The boats will leave every 20 minutes, skipping the stop at Fort Trumbull, starting at 7:20 p.m. each evening. Officials are hoping the extra trips will encourage Groton residents to use the taxi service to get to dinner in New London, and vice versa. The water taxi operators also will start taking a more scenic route between Groton and New London during the hourly daytime trips to give passengers a better look at the sights along the river’s banks.
NEW PROCEDURE WORKING
About one year ago, Hartford HealthCare began using a set of procedures for patients and doctors, developed in European hospitals around 2001 called, “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery”. In that one year, doctors at William Backus Hospital in Norwich found that opioid use among colorectal surgery patients dropped by half, and patients spend on average, two fewer days in the hospital. The rate of complications went down from almost 35 percent to 2.7 percent. More than 97 percent of patients’ lower gastro-intestinals were functioning again two days after their surgery, compared to less than 50 percent in the previous year. In Hartford HealthCare hospitals like Backus, ERAS will soon be a standard practice in gynecological and spine surgeries.
HILLARY NOT OVER IT
Hillary Clinton returned to Yale University this weekend, warning the graduating class of the “tumultuous times” that await them and using the school’s tradition of over-the-top headwear to rib President Donald Trump with her own unusual hat: a Russian fur cap. The audience laughed as she said, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Clinton says she’s concerned about the country’s political polarization but believes the current crop of graduates is prepared to rise to the challenge. She admits she thinks of the election often and still isn’t over the loss.
LAMONT WINS GOVERNOR NOMINATION
Ned Lamont is the Connecticut Democratic Party’s nominee for governor. Lamont got more than 87-percent of the delegate support at the party convention Saturday to secure the nomination. His running mate, Susan Bysiewicz, also won the party nomination, but labor organizer Eva Bermudez Zimmerman got enough delegate support to force a primary. In the state treasurer’s race, Hartford’s Shawn Wooden won the party nomination, but he will face a three-way primary in August.
