Aaron Johnson, CPA, talks taxes

Q&A talks with Aaron Johnson, CPA, of Borgida & Company PC in Manchester.

Eyesores & Opportunities

Dozens of Vacant Buildings Delivering Negative Message

With the “Butt Ugly” building at 1161 Main headed for demolition, Hartford’s commercial real estate market soon will be rid of its most visible eyesore.

St. Francis Reinventing Itself

New Patient Tower, Suburban Strategy At Core Of Plan

When St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center officials began mapping out a strategic plan about a year ago, the economy was still in shambles, sweeping health care reform was on the verge of passage and the future of the industry remained cloudy at best.

Change Building’s Narrative To Change Its Future

As a businessman, Glen Nelson didn’t always have access to capital or other resources to firmly root some of his early business ventures.

Maker Of Cleanroom Supplies Credits Online Strategy For Growth

When the phrases ‘East Berlin’ and ‘global trade’ appear in the same sentence, the word Germany is usually nearby. That is no longer the case, thanks to a small manufacturer with a big Internet marketing strategy.

Target Targets Quinnipiac For Its Retail Recruiting

Target Corp., the Minneapolis-based retail giant, is targeting the future leaders studying at Quinnipiac University in Hamden as it seeks to develop its next generation of store managers.

Check Out Your Local Public Library

When Ben Franklin founded the first public lending library in America in 1731, he probably had no idea what he would inspire. There is no better bargain than a library card, and what better time to sign up for one than September — library card sign-up month.

Leadership Separates Good Bosses From Bad

You can easily identify some bad bosses — the ones that micromanage, don’t listen and ascribe to the “don’t worry about the mules, just load the wagon” school of management. Their common denominator: Using hierarchical power to command and control. Their staffs don’t respect or trust them.

Even In A Tough Economy, Innovator Is Keeping Busy

Most days, Gary van Deursen steps out of his Essex home and onto the rungs of his sailboat, Innovation.

Businesses Play Role In Hartford Movie

From Oct. 2 -21, Marty Lang and Gary Ploski will shoot the independent film, Rising Star, in Hartford. The movie tells the story of an overworked insurance employee who finds online love along an unexpected journey.

Local Firms Honored For Skirting Nature

Mother Nature caused quite a scramble around the three-mile highway expansion project in Brookfield, but the managers, contractors and consultants are reaping the rewards of finishing the U.S. Route 7 Bypass almost on time while catering to seemingly every environmental hurdle possible.

TIGER Eludes CT Rail, Again

In February, Connecticut’s freight railroad industry held its breath — in vain — for $109 million in federal transportation funding to update the deteriorating rail grid.

Expansion of Gaming Likely a Threat to CT

Q&A talks gaming with Clyde W. Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. The center began studying casino gaming in 1995 when then Gov. William Well proposed a gambling site in New Bedford. By 2004, it became apparent that casino gaming would remain a perennial issue in most New England states, so the center established the New England Gaming Research Project to provide policymakers, public, and the media with independent and objective research on the economic, fiscal, social, and community impacts of gaming in the New England and Northeast regions.

Movers & Shakers

Justin Champagne of Middletown has been elected president of the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants, the professional society representing 1,600 physician assistants in Connecticut.

Nonprofit Reinvents Idea Of A School Play

Micaela Connery was 15 when she became an entrepreneurial change maker.

Labor Day 2010: Times Are Changing

Labor Day is one of those pivotal points on the calendar. Summer is ending; school is starting; the political season is warming; the weather is cooling. It’s a good time to take stock and take a deep breath before plunging full speed into the next busy season.

When ‘Dad’ Is Also ‘Boss,’ The State Wants A Role

If justice is truly blind, and if we are all equal under the law, then every single case that staggers into court is treated with the same degree of attention and respect.

OTHER VOICES

For years Connecticut state government has been funding itself by raiding the state employee pension fund, an abuse that worsened by $315 million in the last two years as the Rell administration and General Assembly could not bring themselves to cut spending to match the decline in tax revenue. As a result, the pension fund has only about half the assets considered necessary to fund its long-term obligations.

Of Note

Cigna CEO Named Honorary Chair Of Bike MS Event

UTC Relay For Life Raises $150,000

United Technologies Corp. sponsored the Relay For Life of East Hartford, a 12-hour walk-a-thon for the American Cancer Society. The event celebrated cancer survivors and honoring those touched by cancer. A total of $150,000, including $25,000 donated from UTC, went to aid research and local programs. Pictured are, from left, Laurie Perez, Fox CT reporter and emcee of opening ceremonies; Greg Hayes, UTC senior vice president and chief financial officer; Melody Currey, mayor of East Hartford; and Don Gudaitis, chief executive officer of American Cancer Society’s New England division.

Employees Of The Hartford Brighten up Bushnell Park

A team of 32 volunteers from The Hartford planted flowers and shrubs and performed a range of mulching, weeding, and sweeping services at Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford. Mayor Pedro Segarra was on hand Aug. 26 to thank the volunteers and also thanked The Hartford for contributing $10,000 to the Bushnell Park Foundation to refurbish the Union Station entrance. As a result of The Hartford’s contribution, Bushnell Park’s brownstone wall has been washed and re-pointed and five park benches have been refurbished.

Donation Aids Military Personnel

Carter Mario, president and CEO of Carter Mario Injury Lawyers, recently donated $10,000 and 10,000 digital downloads of the Nashville recording artist Jamie Tate and her label, Nashville’s Bodell Records. The funds will allow 15,000 veterans and active duty military personnel in Connecticut to download the “I’ll Give My All” single from the web at www.IllGiveMyAll.com. Tate’s song was recorded with the 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus and a portion of the proceeds from the downloads go to veterans and wounded solders’ causes. Pictured are Carter Mario, president and CEO of Carter Mario Injury Lawyers, and Nashville recording artist Jamie Tate with members of the Connecticut National Guard at the State Armory in Hartford.